


Best Mistake

by spobylol



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: AU, Drunk Sex, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, One Night Stands
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-04-24 13:27:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 68,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14356449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spobylol/pseuds/spobylol
Summary: The last thing Cheryl Blossom was expecting was to wake up in bed next to a South Side Serpent.





	1. Chapter 1

As Cheryl Blossom's eyes barely opened, the strong ray of light creeping in through the blinds hit her eyes. She groaned quietly, feeling the grogginess running through her body and the killer headache plaguing her head. Needing to get the light out of her eyes, she shifted to the right so that she was laying on her side...

...only to find the bare back of a figure sleeping next to her.

The redhead's still-groggy eyes widened, her whole body jerking upward so that she was sitting up straight. She knew that she had a lot to drink the previous night, but... she couldn't believe that  _this_ happened. She actually slept with somebody? She didn't want it to be true, but she knew how she got when she was drunk sometimes—she made a lot of poor decisions and she certainly was a lot looser with her body. 

She was certainly afraid to awaken the sleeping body next to her; she had never done a one-night-stand before and wasn't looking forward to the awkward morning conversation (where she kicked them out of her house). But what made it even more worrisome was the cascade of pink hair that stopped slightly above the middle of the person's back. It was quite apparent that she had hooked up with a  _girl_ , which made this all-the-more confusing for her. She always knew she was interested in girls, but she had never really had an experience with one—she had never been able to completely accept it. Whenever she caught herself feeling something for a female friend, she instantly tried to stop it. 

So, no, she had never slept with a girl before. But now, apparently, she  _had_. And it was a lot to handle on top of the already scary fact that she just had a one-night-stand.

She felt the light from the blinds hitting her own bare body. Looking down, she realized that she hadn't even noticed that she had nothing on. Internally groaning, she pulled herself out of bed and grabbed a cotton t-shirt and shorts. She didn't need to be naked when dealing with the morning conversation.

" _...mmph_." 

When Cheryl turned, the girl was shuffling a bit in bed, clearly beginning to wake up. Her eyes finally opened and she shifted off of her stomach, turning so that she was on her back. After yawning, she rubbed her eyes until her vision was clear and she saw the redhead standing by a large closet. 

The pink-haired girl tilted her head a bit, giving Cheryl a crooked smirk. Cheryl certainly didn't appreciate the smug look.

"What a pleasant surprise," the pink-haired girl said, still smirking. 

"Um, I have somewhere to be soon, so..." the redhead lied.

"Wow, way to kick a girl out without even offering her breakfast. Slimy move," the girl teased, sitting up straight, giving Cheryl a glimpse of her...  _very_ nice breasts, which the redhead was  _not_ going to stare at. "Besides, where are you even heading out to after drinking so much last night?"

Cheryl peeled her eyes away from the girl. It really didn't help that she was so good looking; at least Cheryl could be assured that her drunken taste was still good. 

"That's fine. I'm just messing around; I'll go," the girl said, then scanned the floor for her clothes.

She grabbed a few articles from the floor, pulling them back on. But one thing in particular caught Cheryl's attention—the girl's jacket. The girl's back was turned to Cheryl as she pulled on a black leather jacket with a giant  _snake-thing_ staring right at the redhead's face. In giant letters,  _SOUTH SIDE SERPENTS_ was written and Cheryl didn't like it one bit. In fact, her entire face dropped when she saw it.

Not only did she have a drunken one-night stand—she had a drunken one-night-stand with a South Side Serpent. 

She had always avoided that slimy  _gang_. Luckily for her, they spent most of their time on the South Side, so she didn't have to deal with them. But she had always told herself that she would never associate with those freaks. Her "friend" (if she could even call her that) Betty was dating a Serpent, which was the only reason Cheryl had even spoken to one before. His name was Jughead Jones, but Cheryl did her best to avoid him, too. 

After pulling her hair out of her jacket, the girl finally turned around. She gave Cheryl a trivial look, trying to read the redhead's face.

"Why are you looking at me like I'm the bane of your existence?"

"Look, you need to leave," Cheryl folded her arms. "And you need to forget that this ever happened. Got it?"

The girl scoffed, "Oh, come on... You can't actually be serious."

"Do I  _look_ like I'm joking?" the redhead glared. 

The girl rolled her eyes, picking up her bag from the floor. 

"Well, you can try your hardest, but you and I both will  _always_ know that it happened," she smirked. 

"Hmm, sorry, I can't recall anything happening," Cheryl shrugged her shoulders. "I think it's best you leave now." 

The girl scoffed again before walking toward the bedroom door. She turned around one last time before she left.

"Toni Topaz, if you're wondering," she introduced herself, "y'know, in case you decide to stop being a bitch." 

"What did you just call me?" Cheryl asked indignantly. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

Toni gave her a crooked smile, "Of course I know who you are, Cheryl Blossom. And I'm pretty sure you'll never forget me now." 

With that, 'Toni Topaz' walked out of Cheryl's bedroom, leaving her completely startled. A small smile curled on to Cheryl's lips, but she quickly stopped herself. She did  _not_ enjoy that interaction. And she was definitely going to try to forget this ever happened. And she was also definitely going to permanently steer clear of the South Side Serpents because there was no way in hell that she was risking running into that girl ever again.

 


	2. Chapter 2

A few weeks went by since the  _incident_ that Cheryl had been trying so hard to forget about. But the harder she tried to forget about it, the more she started thinking about it. She had vague memories in her mind of what had happened. She didn't remember all the little details, but she certainly had some not very PG-13 scenes in her head that she wished she could forget about. The last thing she wanted was any word to get around that she had hooked up with a  _Serpent_ (she didn't even want to deal with the possibility of people talking about her sleeping with a girl). 

Things weren't too bad, though. She could stay on her side of town and not have to see the slimy Serpent gang. And as long as 'Toni Topaz' didn't tell her gang friends (especially Jughead) about what had happened, there was no way for the word to spread around. She felt relieved knowing that she could move forward with her life.

All was well... temporarily, that was. 

It was a foggy morning in Riverdale when Cheryl Blossom arrived at her high school and heard the demoralizing news blasting through the intercom: " _Due to the impending shutdown of Southside High School, the students of Southside High School will be transferring to Riverdale High School in the coming week. We urge for you all to treat the new students kindly and welcome them warmly. If you have any questions, the office is open._ "

No, it couldn't be happening. No.

Cheryl didn't know why she had chosen to ignore it. She had already heard rumors that Southside High School was going to be shut down. Some had even been speculating that the school was being closed down to due to the Lodges, who were allegedly acquiring the land and planning on building something in its place. 

"This is  _your_ doing," Cheryl growled when she saw Veronica Lodge strutting into school with her high heels. Veronica was startled, completely confused. "Your family is the reason that those  _hideous_ South Side kids are coming to our school!"

Veronica shook her head, "My parents have nothing to do with Southside High School shutting down. Didn't you hear that there were, like, toxic fumes coming from there or something?"

"I don't buy it," Cheryl folded her arms.

She liked Veronica, though. She really did. Veronica was one of the few people who Cheryl would actually...  _maybe_... consider a friend. Cheryl didn't have a lot of "real friends," but Veronica actually seemed to care about her sometimes. Other than Veronica, Cheryl was pretty good friends with Josie, but it wasn't as close of a friendship as Cheryl craved. 

"Whatever," Cheryl sighed. "Those stupid snakes better stay out of my way."

Veronica arched her eyebrows, "Okay, I get not being super fond of the Serpents or the Southsiders, but why do you hate them  _that_ much? Some of them are pretty decent actually. Jughead's a good guy!"

"Oh, yeah, sure... we're going to pretend like that freak is a good example of why I should be warm and welcoming to the Southsiders?" Cheryl rolled her eyes.

"Hey, relax," Veronica reached over and squeezed her arm. "Just stay out of their way and they'll probably stay out of yours. Trust me."

Cheryl wanted to believe her. And maybe she would have been right... if only Cheryl hadn't made the mistake of sleeping with one of them. She knew there was bound to be some embarrassing encounter where Toni Topaz brought it up. All she could wish for now was that other people didn't hear about it.

* * *

The day the Southsiders were joining Riverdale High School came all too quickly. Cheryl had been dreading the day since the second she heard about it on the school's announcements. When she got to school the day of their arrival, everything just felt gloomier. It felt like there was a dark cloud cast over the school. Kids in leather jackets were far too abundant for Cheryl's liking, and it was only a matter of time before she ran into Toni Topaz. She was dreading  _that_ most of all.

Cheryl was relieved when she had already gotten through three periods without running into her—she was almost halfway through the day. Maybe it would be possible to handle this. 

But of course, she mentally spoke too soon. Right as the thought went through her head, Toni Topaz showed up in the doorway of her English class, scanning the room for an open seat. And of course, Cheryl just  _happened_ to be sitting alone since Reggie Mantle dropped the class within a week of the first exam. 

Mr. Bennett, her English teacher, got up from his desk to welcome her.

"Miss Topaz, is it?" he smiled warmly. "Welcome to Riverdale High School. Why don't you go on and take a seat next to..." He looked around the room for an open seat to place her in and Cheryl chewed on her lip hard because she just  _knew_ that he was going to make Toni sit next to her. "Miss Blossom, over there in the back! There's an empty seat right by her."

Toni seemed just as startled to have to sit next to Cheryl, but when they locked eyes, her surprise turned into a tiny smirk. Immediately, Cheryl rolled her eyes. Toni was probably enjoying this. Cheryl broke their eye contact, looking at anything and everything else but Toni in order to avoid giving her anymore satisfaction.

"Well, well, well... if it isn't Cheryl Blossom," Toni smirked as she slid into the seat next to Cheryl. "I knew we'd see each other again once I transferred here, but it must be fate, right? That we're sitting right next to each other in this class?"

Cheryl scoffed, " _Fate_? That's pathetic—I just happened to have an empty seat by me because an idiot used to sit next to me who couldn't handle this class."

"Never thought you'd be in AP English," Toni commented.

The redhead glared at her, offended.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? I'll have you know that I am an  _excellent_ student," she practically growled. "I'm the one who should be surprised that  _you're_ taking AP English."

"And what's  _that_ supposed to mean?" Toni chuckled, mock offended. "You don't think that Serpents have brains?"

"Well, I'd just assume that they're mostly muscle and don't have a lot going on up here," Cheryl commented, tapping on her head twice.

Toni rolled her eyes playfully before smugly commenting, "I mean, I've got brains  _and_ muscles. You haven't seen the brains, but I'm sure you remember the muscles, right?"

There it was. The mention of  _that_ night that Cheryl so desperately wanted to forget. She knew it was coming. There was no way that Toni would let it go. Thankfully, Cheryl didn't have to deal with the embarrassment much longer because the bell rang and Mr. Bennett took over the class. But the shade of red lasted on Cheryl's cheeks a lot longer than she'd like to admit.

* * *

Cheryl Blossom was always one who was able to at least surround herself with false good company, but suddenly, she found herself sitting alone at a cafeteria table during lunch time. She usually sat with her Vixens because they were her "friends," but it seemed that lately, each and every one of them had found something better to do. And that just left Cheryl.

Toni, of course, was sticking with her fellow Serpents. Coming to Riverdale High alone would've been a scary task, but she felt a lot more secure because she knew the other Serpents had her back. But while she was sitting at a table with them, she couldn't help but glance over at a lonesome Cheryl and long to go over there and talk to her (and probably tease her).

" _Topaz_ ," Sweet Pea snapped her back into reality. "The hell? Are you really  _ogling_ her?" 

"What?" she rolled her eyes.

"Cheryl Blossom," he raised his eyebrows. "We all know who she is."

Toni folded her arms, "We don't know  _anything_ about her, Sweets."

Sweet Pea chuckled, "C'mon, don't tell me you're actually serious... Girls like her are exactly the ones who stand against everything the Serpents are." 

"Well, we have a class together," Toni revealed. Despite the warning expression on Sweet Pea's face, Toni stood up from their table, still glancing over in Cheryl's direction. "Um, I think I need to ask her a question about the homework."

He scoffed, "A question about the homework? You really think I'm that dumb?"

Apparently, Toni didn't care much about what Sweet Pea had to say because she started heading straight toward the table where Cheryl was sitting. She felt guilty, but she hadn't even told Sweet Pea (or any of the Serpents, for that matter) that she had hooked up with Cheryl before. And considering the way Sweet Pea reacted to her  _barely_ checking Cheryl out, maybe it was for the better that she kept it to herself—unless it maybe became something real... not that Toni thought that it would ever become something real.

Without saying a word, Toni set her tray down at Cheryl's table, sitting straight across from the redhead. Cheryl, who was previously staring down at her food, snapped her head up, unpleasantly surprised (or so she pretended) to see Toni sitting there.

"Stalker, much?" 

"I thought you could use some company."

"Are you trying to offer me your pity company because I'm here alone? News flash: Cheryl Bombshell is  _nobody's_ charity case. And I'd much rather sit here alone than hang out with a Serpent."

Toni had to admit: she was getting nervous now. Cheryl really had her guard up; Toni definitely believed this bitch thing was one big act, but it was undeniably difficult to get through. And she couldn't go back to her table to get an  _I told you so_ from Sweet Pea. Basically, she was stuck here.

"You wanna know what I think, Cheryl?"

"Not really—"

Toni continued anyway, "I think you're scared." 

" _Of_?"

"Getting to know me... falling for somebody... letting your guard down," she listed off a few things. "I think you know that if you actually knew me, you'd like me. And that must scare the hell out of you."

Cheryl pressed her lips together for a moment, startled that Toni  _actually_ just said what she said.

"You wish," the redhead rolled her eyes. "None of that is true. Why would I be worried about falling for  _you_? That's never gonna happen."

 _Ouch_. But Toni was aware that it was an appropriate defensive response. What else could she expect from Cheryl Blossom when she accused the girl of something like that?

Toni tried to give her a sincere look, reaching across the table to gently touch her arm. The wide-eyed look the touch evoked from the redhead was extremely scary—even for a gang member. But she tried to hold it out strong.

"I can tell that you're going through stuff," Toni said. "And you can talk to me if you need somebody to talk to... I'm actually a pretty good listener. Plus, I get it: pretending to be tough and mean because of your own personal issues." 

Toni swore that Cheryl's face softened. Maybe Toni was actually getting somewhere with what she was saying. Cheryl swallowed hard, not saying anything, and just staring straight at Toni with an expression that looked almost almost  _vulnerable_.

But quickly, it faded away.

"Get your sapphic serpent hands  _off_ my body," she hissed, practically hitting Toni's hand off of her arm. She was now glaring at the Serpent. "Funny how you say you're a good listener because you mainly just talk at me, trying to 'read' me, thinking you're life-changing to me. You're not. And have you ever thought that maybe I'm a bitch because I  _am_ one and not because of my apparent deeply troubling past?"

Toni wasn't fazed. Even if she was nervous before, she had gotten over it. She had dealt with a lot worse things than a mean girl at school. 

"Well, I don't believe that at all," Toni told her. "I'm good at reading people, you know." 

"Guess you're not as good at it as you thought then!"

Toni scoffed in disbelief, tilting her head to the side.

"Oh, really?" she asked. "So, I'm completely wrong about you? You're not dealing with  _anything_ troubling in your life? You don't feel like you have nobody to turn to who would understand you? You're  _completely_ fine and haven't experienced any tragedies?" 

The Serpent felt a little mean about how she was pushing the redhead's buttons, but maybe it would get her to open up. Of course Toni had heard about the death of Cheryl's brother: Jason Blossom. She was friends with Jughead, so she had most certainly gotten more information about the situation than she had ever thought she would. Besides, Riverdale was a pretty small town so the news of Jason's murder was everywhere. Everybody had talked about it.

"You do  _not_ know me."

Cheryl's face had a hint of anger in it, but it mainly seemed like  _sadness_. Now Toni was certain that the redhead was a lot more troubled than she let people on about. 

"Never said I did," Toni leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. "But I certainly would like to."

Cheryl folded her arms, still seeming upset.

"Is that what you want?" she stared right at Toni. "Let me guess: you want to weasel your way into my life, probably for sex because isn't that just what  _everyone_ wants? I honestly thought you'd be a bit different because I assumed men are trash and that's why they're obsessed with screwing every girl in sight."

"I never—"

"Well, guess what? That's what it feels like when you try to  _read_ me," she hissed. "Fine, we hooked up once, but if you think your fake empathy-sympathy-whatever is going to get you another round, forget it. You don't know me and you never will."

Toni had always been aware that Cheryl Blossom was a challenge, but she had underestimated how big of a challenge it would truly be.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Starting the next day, Cheryl didn't even turn her head to look at Toni in English class. And Toni just accepted it. Each day, she sat down next to the redhead and didn't say a word. She enjoyed the teasing at first, but after pushing Cheryl's buttons a little too hard, she felt more guilty than anything. And clearly, from the vibe that she was getting, Cheryl wasn't interested in talking to her. 

Of course, Toni was tempted to apologize day after day, but she wasn't sure she would get through to Cheryl. Maybe she just had to accept that there was no chance of even a friendship between them; maybe what happened between them only happened because they were both drinking that night. 

One day, Mr. Bennett handed each student a sheet of paper with instructions on it—instructions for a project. A partner project, that was...

"Since we just concluded reading Huxley's  _Brave New World_ , instead of writing our normal literary analysis essay on it, I thought I'd change it up and have us do a partner project on the book!"

Immediately, Cheryl feared that she would have to work with the Serpent sitting next to her. Maybe it wouldn't be that way... maybe Mr. Bennett would randomize their partners, or—

"You'll be working with the person sitting next to you to make things easier."

...or  _harder_ , in Cheryl's case. 

She'd rather work with Betty Cooper than Toni. At least Betty would get the work done and not waste too much time harassing her about her past (well, she would, but she could brush that off a lot easier than she could when Toni did it). 

Now, she had to work with Toni on a project. She was sure that the Serpent girl would take it as an opportunity to flirt her ass off, probably to get into her pants again. It was odd, though; Toni had left her alone entirely since their "conversation" in the cafeteria that one day. 

"I'm giving you today in class to sort things out with your partner, like planning time to work on it... maybe even throw a few ideas around," Mr. Bennett told them. "The class time is a gift, so use it wisely! And feel free to ask me any questions if you have them—but only do it  _after_ you read through the instructions, please."

With that, Mr. Bennett left them to their tasks. Cheryl sighed, picking up the instruction sheet to read it. She read it for an exceptionally long period of time, trying to make it never ending so that she didn't have to start planning work time with Toni. 

"Cheryl..." 

The redhead pretended not to hear her, continuing to read the instruction sheet.

"Cheryl, come on," Toni sighed. "I know I'm the last person you want to work with, but it is what it is, so... You can't hate me forever."

"I  _can_ and I  _will_."

Toni scoffed, "Well, at least you're speaking to me again..."

"Only because I have to," she reminded her, finally turning to look at the Serpent. 

"Look, I'm  _sorry_ ," Toni finally apologized. Sure, she had planned a much grander apology in her head, but she was just winging it at this point. She honestly wasn't expecting to be forced by a teacher to talk to Cheryl again. "I shouldn't have pushed you that day. But... I'm not trying anything, I swear. I'm not that bad."

Honestly, Cheryl believed her as she was looking at her eyes. She didn't seem like she was lying (but then again, most people seemed genuine to Cheryl until she got to know how ugly they truly were). But for some reason, she couldn't help but believe Toni. 

"So, when do you want to work on the project?" the redhead suddenly asked.

Toni was a bit startled, but she was still grateful. 

"Uhh... any time's fine, I guess," she shrugged her shoulders.

"Perfect. Tomorrow, after school, then. My house," Cheryl barely smiled before turning back to her work. 

Again, Toni was startled. She wasn't sure what to make of this—she wasn't sure if Cheryl still hated her ass. She was also surprised that the redhead wanted to get to work on the project so quickly, but she supposed it was better to get it done now than to put it off. 

* * *

" _Topaz_!" Sweet Pea called the pink haired girl as she was walking. She turned toward him, approaching him slowly. Sweet Pea was leaning against a locker with Jughead by his side. "I'm headin' to the Whyte Wyrm to get drinks with Jug... wanna tag along?" 

"Umm," Toni hesitated. "I would, but I've actually gotta be somewhere right now."

"You've gotta  _be somewhere_?" he questioned. "What? Are you gonna go chat it up with Cheryl Blossom again?"

The way he said it was a joke... Toni was afraid to tell him that it wasn't really a joke, since it was actually true.

"Cheryl Blossom?" Jughead questioned, raising his eyebrows. "What's that about?" 

"Nothing," Toni rolled her eyes. "He's just being stupid, as usual."

Jughead didn't really seem to believe her, but he didn't press her on it, either. 

"All right. So, where  _are_ you heading?" Jughead asked curiously.

Toni was silent, a guilty expression covering her entire face. Sweet Pea stared at her for a moment, trying to read her facial expression. His eyes widened when it dawned upon him—maybe she looked so guilty because she  _was_ meeting up with Cheryl Blossom.

"It's Cheryl, isn't it?" Sweet Pea accused. "C'mon..." 

She sighed in defeat. "Yes, but—"

" _Toni_ ," Jughead warned. "Look, I don't hate her or anything, but she's not exactly someone you should be associating with. She doesn't have the best reputation around here, you know."

Toni was planning on telling them that it was just a stupid English project and that she wasn't willingly hanging out with Cheryl, but suddenly, she grew a bit heated because of Jughead's comment. It was completely hypocritical. She folded her arms, glaring at him.

"... _and_? Your point is?" she demanded. "I shouldn't associate with her because she has a bad reputation? News flash, Jughead, we don't exactly have the best reputation around here, either. In fact, I'm pretty sure people see Serpents as much worse than anything she has done, so we shouldn't be judging her."

"Is it just me or is Topaz in love with her?" Sweet Pea joked, but his boyish grin faltered when neither Jughead nor Toni laughed at his joke. The two of them were just glaring at each other. 

Jughead's face softened, "I just want you to be careful, okay? She's hurt a lot of people before and I don't want you to get hurt."

Toni rolled her eyes, "Guys, come on... I appreciate it, but I don't need you looking out for me. I can handle myself. Besides, you didn't even listen to me long enough to hear why I'm meeting up with her... We have to do an English project together because we were assigned as partners. Now, can you guys just chill the hell out?"

Both Jughead and Sweet Pea relaxed, nodding their heads.

"Well, you could've started with that!" Sweet Pea told her.

"I was planning on it, but you two kind of went off on me, so I had to give it to you back," she explained. "Whatever. I should get going."

* * *

Toni stopped her motorcycle outside of Thistlehouse. She felt odd stepping near the large home. The last time she was here, she had been dragged to a party by Jughead Jones, who told her they'd "just stop by for a few minutes." They ended up staying much longer because Jughead got a little too comfortable with Betty at the party. Abandoned, Toni had to entertain herself and wound up drinking way too much.

She knocked on the door; it was quickly answered by Cheryl. 

"Well, well... you're a bit late, aren't you?"

Toni sighed, "Yeah, sorry about that. My friends were... annoying."

Cheryl stepped aside, allowing Toni into her home. The Serpent walked inside, glancing around the spacious living room. It really was a large place. Toni hadn't paid much attention to it when she came over for Cheryl's party, but now that she was looking at it without a bunch of drunken teenagers standing around, she could see the whole damn thing.

"Nice place," Toni commented.

"Isn't it?" Cheryl smiled proudly. "Have you not been here before?"

Toni glanced back at Cheryl, giving her an  _are you freaking serious_ kind of look. They both knew the answer to Cheryl's question.

"Right," Cheryl nodded her head, clearly not wanting to talk about  _that_ ever again. "Let's go upstairs to my room."

Toni was desperate to make a joke about going to her bedroom, but after the previous conversations that they had, she didn't want to risk pissing Cheryl off again. So, she simply followed the redhead up to her familiar bedroom. When they were upstairs, Toni felt a bit dizzy thinking of being there last time. She had fuzzy memories of what happened with Cheryl. She had a pretty clear memory of what happened the morning after, though. It was a pleasure to be kicked out of this very bedroom by Cheryl Blossom.

"So, I was thinking that we could focus our project on the role of consumerism in the book," Toni suggested as she sat down on Cheryl's giant bed. 

"Sure, sounds good," Cheryl said, sitting down on the bed as well.

Toni glanced up at the redhead.

"Are you okay?" the Serpent asked.

"I'm fine," she replied too quickly for Toni to be able to take it seriously.

Toni didn't know much about the girl other than what she had heard around town because of Cheryl's reputation, but she knew damn well that the redhead wasn't fine from the look on her face. However, she also didn't want to push her luck too hard, considering it was basically a miracle that Cheryl was speaking to her. 

The Serpent's vision was functioning much better than the last time she was in here, maybe because she didn't have way too much alcohol running through her system. While Cheryl was pulling out some papers, Toni took a better look at the other girl's bedroom. It was dim and luxurious, overflowing with red and black. Toni's eyes fixated on a photo that was framed and sitting firmly on the bedside table. 

It was a photo of Cheryl standing next to a taller redhead male who heavily resembled her. She was hugging him tightly. Both of them had radiant smiles on their faces. Now that Toni thought about it, she hadn't seen Cheryl smile like  _that_ before. Then again, she hadn't known her for that long, but she hadn't really seen the girl smile much at all. The most she offered was an almost mischievous smirk. 

"Is that your brother?" Toni asked, still glancing over at the photo.

Cheryl seemed to tense up at the question. She was surprised that Toni was asking. Most people already knew every detail of what happened, as it had been the center of all talk in Riverdale not too long ago. And most people who knew about it would never ask Cheryl about it or  _him_. Cheryl figured they assumed it was too sensitive of a topic—that she could never talk about her own brother again. She understood where they were coming from, though. She couldn't blame people for wanting to dance around the fact that her brother was brutally murdered by her own father, followed by her own father's suicide.

But no matter what happened, Cheryl liked to remember her brother. Sometimes she wished that more people would ask her about him just so that she could talk about him. 

"JJ," Cheryl suddenly said. Toni was stunned when she saw a small, closed-mouth smile forming on Cheryl's lips. She seemed happy to think about him. "Yeah, that's him... Jason." 

"You must miss him a lot," Toni said.

Right after she said it, she felt like a complete idiot. Why the hell would she even say that?  _Of course_ she would miss her own brother. Why wouldn't she? It was a dumb thing to say. Cheryl was probably pissed that Toni was invading her life. Why would she want to talk about something so personal to her with a girl she didn't even like?

"I'm sorry," Toni suddenly added. "I shouldn't have—I mean, we don't have to talk about him, or... this. We can just focus on the book."

Nervously, Toni picked up her own copy of  _Brave New World_ , shuffling through the pages, pretending to be searching for a certain one. Cheryl was just staring at the photo of Jason by her bed. She was happier then, that was for sure. Not because everything in her life was better, but because she had one person who actually gave a damn about her. Jason was the one person who loved her and always wanted to protect her against everything. And even if everything else was still as tragic back then for her as it was now, the one thing she had back then was him.

"No, it's okay," Cheryl said. Toni was surprised to get a response after the redhead was so silent for a while since she spoke. "I want to talk about him. I like to."

Toni was even more surprised now.

"Most people try not to bring him up around me or ask me about him," Cheryl explained. "But I wish people could know how amazing he was." 

 _Holy crap_ , was Cheryl Blossom actually opening up? 

"He was my brother and my best friend," the redhead continued. "He always had my back, no matter what. My parents never cared that much about me, but he always did. He was everything to me. Nobody ever loved me as much as he did, so... I think about him every day. He was my soulmate."

Toni tried to calm herself down, but she was kind of freaking out internally. She honestly found it so endearing how much Cheryl loved her brother; she rarely ever heard of siblings as close as they were. Toni didn't have much a family, so she had always longed for that type of love. Luckily, she found a family in the Serpents, which was a part of why she was so devoted to her gang.

Her natural reaction was to reach over and touch Cheryl's hand, just to let her know that she was listening. She brushed her fingertips against the back of Cheryl's hand, slightly regretting it in her head because she was sure that Cheryl was going to swat her away just like she did at the lunch table, but—

Cheryl turned her hand the other side so that her palm was brushing against Toni's, and before Toni knew it, Cheryl had intertwined their fingers. Toni's doubts eased. She squeezed Cheryl's hand gently. 

Cheryl's heart, on the other hand, was racing. She was afraid that Toni would hear how her heart was beating because it seemed so freaking loud in her head. She turned away from the picture of Jason and stared right at Toni instead. For the first time since Jason, Cheryl Blossom felt like somebody cared about her.

She knew it was stupid and that she was getting ahead of herself, but she felt safe again, even if it would only last a moment. 

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," Toni told her. "...but, if you ever need somebody to listen, I'm... here. Maybe I'm not your ideal set of ears, but I'm here."

Realizing how vulnerable she seemed right now, Cheryl immediately flipped a switch in her head. She separated her hand from Toni's, picking up her book again and trying to focus on it. When she was looking at Toni, she was starting to deceive herself—that this random ass girl actually gave a crap about her. She was probably just trying to be nice. What else was she supposed to do? Cheryl had bombarded her with too much information about her dead brother. Toni seemed like a decent enough person not to shoo her away for that.

But maybe it was because she was so used to people not actually caring about her. She didn't want to get attached to somebody, only to have them ripped away from her. That was how it felt with Jason—the one person in the world she loved more than anything was cruelly taken away from her and suddenly, she had nobody except herself.

"So, the society in the book tries to force stability through excessive consumerism," Cheryl suddenly changed the subject.

Toni figured that moment was a bit weird for both of them, so she adjusted herself and picked her own copy of the book back up.

"Right," she nodded her head, and the two of them actually got to work on their project instead.

* * *

Cheryl was sitting at a booth at Pop's alone, sipping her usual strawberry milkshake. She had called Veronica, but of course, she had "important matters" to take care of. Cheryl figured that she was going to either a) participate in some shady business with her parents, b) bang Archie, or c) both. After being rejected by Veronica, she had tried Josie, only to again be rejected, but this time because of Josie's Pussycat rehearsals. 

So, there she was, alone at Pop's. 

The sound of bells came ringing; somebody had walked through the door. Cheryl turned her head, feeling desperate as she realized she was hoping that Veronica, Josie, or anyone at all, had come to see her. There was a dull ache in her heart when she realized that it was never going to happen.

It wasn't Veronica or Josie. It was Toni Topaz.

Cheryl couldn't help but feel slightly warmed by the presence of Toni at Pop's. Part of her was hoping that Toni was seeking her out, although she'd never admit that. She also would never admit that they sort of shared a moment back at her house while working on their English project. 

"Stalking me, TT?" Cheryl joked, trying to make it seem as if she  _hadn't_ just been hoping that Toni had come to see her.

"No, I'm not," Toni rolled her eyes. "I was supposed to come down here with Jughead, but he suddenly became 'extremely busy' with Betty. I think we both know what  _that_ means."

Cheryl let out a laugh. Toni got butterflies when she saw it... even if it was just a tiny laugh.

"Veronica was 'extremely busy,' too. Pretty sure that means Archie is also 'extremely busy,'" Cheryl joked.

Toni liked seeing her like this. Smiling, even cracking a joke... it was a bit of a different side. Toni ordered a chocolate milkshake and approached the booth where Cheryl was sitting.

"So, you're alone, then?" Toni asked.

"Are you trying to rub it in?" Cheryl glared, but it didn't seem very serious.

"No," Toni offered a small smile. "You're alone... I'm alone... I was just wondering if you'd wanna be alone together instead?"

"Was that supposed to be your way of flirting with me?"

Now it was Toni's turn to glare. 

"It wasn't, but the fact that you even said it makes me think that you  _wanted_ it to be."

Cheryl showed a flash of nervousness. Toni wondered if she had hit the truth right there.

"I  _guess_ I'll allow you to sit down."

Toni rolled her eyes playfully as she sat down at the booth across from Cheryl. She watched the way Cheryl's perfect lips wrapped around the straw of her strawberry milkshake, taking a long sip of it. 

"And for your information, I didn't want you to flirt with me. You're the one who has been trying to get back into my pants, isn't that right?" 

Toni glared, "I'm really not, Blossom." She gave the redhead a serious look before continuing, "If you  _actually_ want to have a conversation about what happened that night, we can."

The fact that Cheryl was shying away from replying by occupying her mouth with her milkshake gave Toni the answer she was expecting.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," the Serpent scoffed. "I'll just clear the air anyway, though. We were both drunk that night, so... we clearly weren't thinking. I can only speak for myself, but it doesn't mean anything to me."

Quickly, Cheryl nodded her head. There was no way that she was letting Toni Topaz think that it meant something to her. Because it  _didn't_ , obviously. It was a drunken one-night stand and—

"It's never happening again, right," Cheryl hurriedly added.

"Okay," Toni nodded back, smiling nervously. She wasn't sure how to transition the conversation from here without being awkward. It wasn't the easiest thing to go from talking about hooking up drunkenly to a casual conversation about school, but she was sure going to try. "Glad we're on the same page, then. Have you, um... made anymore progress on our project?"

Cheryl could sense that she was nervous now. Her lips curled into a small smile—it was cute.

"No, I could never do anything without consulting my brilliant partner!"

Toni rolled her eyes, "I thought you thought Serpents don't have brains."

Well, Cheryl almost forgot that Toni was a Southside Serpent... just for a second. Maybe it was weird to her that she was actually getting along with a Serpent—that she was actually enjoying the company of one. So, she might have been wrong about the Serpents—maybe they weren't as bad as she had always thought. 

"You might be an exception," Cheryl admitted. "I might even say that your writing for our project was better than mine."

"I never thought I'd hear you compliment me on my project contributions," Toni chuckled.

Then, silence fell upon them, but it wasn't bad—it was a good kind of silence. The two of them took in the silence to just gaze at each other, to closely analyze the features of each other's faces. Tiny smiles were creeping on both of their lips. Cheryl found something so comforting about Toni's brown eyes; she remembered the way she had felt so cared for the other day when Toni asked about Jason. There was something so genuine and kind about her eyes, which was odd... wasn't she supposed to be an evil gang member?

"So," Toni suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence, "there's an outdoor movie tonight outside of Pop's... maybe you'd wanna watch it?"

"With you?" Cheryl asked all too quickly. She felt silly when she realized how eager she sounded. "I mean... I suppose I don't have anything more important tonight." 

Toni just smiled. Cheryl smiled back.

The redhead wouldn't dare ask the dreaded question:  _is this a date_? The way Toni had asked her sort of made it seem like one, but Cheryl wasn't used to people _liking_ her, so she doubted it. Toni probably just wanted to hang out as friends, right? They were already at Pop's, so it was probably convenient to ask her. It wasn't a date.

* * *

Cheryl didn't know when or how, but she had completely stopped paying attention to the movie being projected outside of Pop's, and was instead focused on the way her heart was thudding as she was practically resting her body on Toni. She also wasn't sure how they had gotten to this position, but they had. They had just continuously moved closer to each other. 

Cheryl's head was lightly resting on Toni's shoulder. The two girls didn't have much space between them; they were squished together. Toni's hand had somehow found its way to Cheryl's upper thigh, resting on it gently—and honestly, Cheryl didn't mind at all. Toni didn't either. In fact, both of them were enjoying it.

" _Cheryl_!" Veronica exclaimed, grinning cluelessly. Archie was behind her with his arms wrapped around her, only making Cheryl want to roll her eyes. 

The redhead then panicked when it hit her that  _Veronica_ was there. The rest of the Scooby Gang probably wasn't fair behind, only making this worse (especially if that included Jughead's presence, since Jughead knew Toni well). Cheryl nervously pulled away from Toni, freeing them both from each other's physical contact. 

"I probably should have figured that  _this_ is what your important business was earlier," Cheryl remarked.

"Sorry," Veronica bit her lip, but she didn't seem that sorry. Cheryl assumed she had fun rolling around in bed with Archie. "But since we're all here, we can join you." 

"Oh, great..." Cheryl muttered.

She liked Veronica a lot, but she may have enjoyed her company tonight more if she hadn't bailed on her for Archie earlier and (more importantly) if she wasn't interrupting a casually good moment with Toni. Because even though Cheryl had told herself it definitely wasn't a date earlier, it was starting to feel more like a date as they got closer during the night. But now she'd never know the ending to  _that_ story since Veronica needed to interrupt. 

Veronica and Archie laid out a blanket next to Cheryl and Toni. The couple cuddled closely together. Cheryl's eyes flickered over to them. Seeing them so touchy made her uncomfortable in a...  _good_ way? Maybe it was in the sense that she sort of felt like doing that with Toni, but she  _wouldn't_ because she was  _not_ going to make a move. She wouldn't make a move because she did  _not_ like Toni, she told herself.

"I didn't know you two were friends," Veronica suddenly commenting, eyeing the two girls.

"Oh, yeah, we just... ran into each other," Toni answered. 

"Well, hi," Veronica smiled. "I'm Veronica Lodge."

"Toni Topaz."

"This is my boyfriend Archie," Veronica introduced him, earning a tiny, awkward wave from Archie. 

Cheryl was somewhat surprised that Veronica hadn't questioned them more on why they were (kind of, sort of...) cuddling when she came, but the redhead figured that she was too oblivious since she was caught up in her own world with Archie at the moment.

Cheryl was also afraid that Veronica was going to ask her what had happened in the movie so far because Cheryl kind of had no idea at all... She hadn't been paying attention and she wasn't sure how to explain that she had gotten distracted by a certain Southside Serpent sitting next to her. Luckily for her, Veronica had become even  _more_ caught up in her own world with Archie. When Cheryl turned her head to glance at Veronica, she was already sucking face with Archie. 

Openly, Cheryl rolled her eyes. Toni glanced over at the redhead.

"Well, this is nice, isn't it?" Toni joked, gesturing over to Veronica and Archie.

"The  _nicest_ ," the redhead sarcastically agreed. She whispered, "I'm sorry that they... intruded."

"Intruded what, exactly?" Toni asked, just for the fun of it. She enjoyed it when Cheryl's mouth went dry. There was no way that Cheryl was about to try to explain whatever had been happening between them before (neither girl was quite sure of that, anyway). 

Toni decided to spare her of the awkwardness.

"We can go somewhere else, if you want," the Serpent suggested. "I'm sure they won't even notice if we're gone."

Cheryl chuckled, "Probably not."

The redhead dared to look back over into Toni's eyes. She swore she saw the Serpent's eyes flicker down to her lips. Cheryl swallowed hard. Was Toni thinking about it? Thinking about kissing her? 

Because now, Cheryl was thinking about it. She was thinking about the way it would feel to kiss Toni... how it would taste... all she had were drunken fragments of the night they hooked up, but Cheryl couldn't deny that she wanted more than that. She wanted to remember kissing her. She wanted to kiss her while she was sober—she wanted to know what those lipgloss-covered lips tasted like, and she wanted to remember that taste after it was over.

Part of her was thinking that she was seriously caught up in the moment after seeing all these couples getting close around her. But the other part of her was thinking that she was seriously just attracted to Toni. Maybe it was a combination of both.

Cheryl's mouth went dry when Toni reached forward and placed her hand on her thigh. Now, she wasn't even hiding it—the Serpent was undeniably staring at Cheryl's lips, desire filling her eyes. The redhead found herself leaning forward without even processing it, and apparently Toni was doing the same thing because their faces ended up dangerously close, their lips almost touching. In that moment, Cheryl didn't even give a damn that they were in public and everyone could see them about to kiss (not that anyone was really paying attention, especially the couples). 

But just before their lips actually touched, a loud explosion came from the movie, causing Cheryl to jerk her head away. Toni seemed disappointed, but squeezed her thigh to calm her down, hoping to make her relax if she was startled by the movie. 

Cheryl's mind was filled with regret as she realized she had just missed the opportunity to kiss Toni all because of some movie she hadn't even been paying attention to. She was internally scolding herself, wondering if there was a way to revert time and ignore that stupid explosion and just kiss her already. Was there any way they could go back to the way they were before?

Cheryl didn't think so. Now that they were out of the moment, she suddenly became too conscious. She hadn't been thinking too hard when they were in the moment, but now she was  _overthinking_ and her mind felt like a mess. She wasn't sure if she could do anything with her anymore.

"Do you still want to get out of here?" Toni asked.

" _Please_ ," Cheryl smiled, and the two of them got up from where they were sitting. 

* * *

Cheryl was laughing uncontrollably as she tried her hardest to swallow the noodles that were in her mouth. 

"Shut  _up_!" she said, wiping tears from her eyes (from laughing way too much, of course). 

She and Toni had decided to get Chinese take-out for dinner and eat it in the back of Cheryl's car. And then there they were, discovering that they got along a lot better than either one of them was expecting. 

Cheryl had her head resting on the window in the back of her car, her legs stretching out, her feet practically resting on Toni, who was sitting up straight. Toni didn't mind, though. Between the Chinese food, the laughter, and the Daniel Caesar song playing from Cheryl's playlist, it was a damn good way to end the night. 

Toni glanced at the clock at the car, eyes widening when she realized that it was almost midnight. She shifted in her seat, turning to look at Cheryl.

"Crap, it's getting pretty late," she started. She bit her lip, seeing the visible disappointment in Cheryl's eyes because both girls knew where  _this_ was going. "I should probably get going now."

"Okay," Cheryl nodded her head, pulling her feet off of Toni and sitting up straight as well. "I can, um... I can drive you home, if you want."

Toni seemed to tense a little bit. She shook her head.

"Thanks, but... it's fine," Toni told her. "But maybe you could drive me back to Pop's? My bike's still there. I just don't want to leave it overnight." 

Cheryl nodded again. She set her take-out box down and climbed into the driver's seat, and Toni climbed into the passenger side seat after. The redhead drove them back over to Pop's. The movie had ended long ago; everybody was already gone. After parking her car, Cheryl eyed Toni's motorcycle parked in the lot; she chewed her lip—she couldn't believe that Toni was going to ride that thing home.

"Thanks for driving me," Toni said, smiling sweetly. She reached over and touched Cheryl's hand, giving it a light squeeze. "And... thanks for tonight. I had a lot of fun... with you."

Cheryl couldn't help but gaze at the Serpent. She had butterflies from the way it felt when Toni was touching her hand; she felt a similar desire from when they were at the movie crawling through her body, making her want to lean over and place a kiss on Toni's soft lips. Those lips looked just as kissable as they did before. The way they were looking at each other—it felt like the perfect time to do it...

"Of course," Cheryl said, breaking the gaze. "You better not tell anyone this, but I had a lot of fun with you, too."

Toni smirked, "So, Serpents aren't as bad as you thought, huh?"

"I don't know... maybe not," the redhead shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe it's just you, though."

Still smiling, Toni said, "Well, good night, Bombshell."

"Good night," Cheryl smiled back as Toni opened the door and exited her car.

She watched closely as Toni climbed on her motorcycle. The Serpent turned back one last time to wave at the redhead, to which Cheryl offered a tiny wave back. Then, she watched the Serpent ride off until she was out of sight completely. And she had to admit, Toni looked damn badass on that bike. 

Cheryl felt a pit in her stomach, leaning back against the seat. She sighed heavily. God, what the hell was happening to her? She was pretty sure that she was falling for Toni Topaz, and it was scary as hell. 


	4. Chapter 4

Cheryl was thinking about her.  _A lot_.

That night, she had felt so relaxed—so at ease. She actually felt like she could bring her guard down and just be a person instead of trying to act a certain way. She smiled and laughed a lot more than she normally did. She felt happy that night. 

And never had she ever been looking forward to doing schoolwork more than she was right now. Working on her English project meant that there was a reason for Toni to come over. Once they had set a time that they were going to meet up to work on their project, Cheryl had been glancing at the clock way too frequently, counting down the time until she'd be there.

She practically hopped out of her bed when she heard a knock on the door. She rushed down the long staircase, making her way to the front door. Although she knew exactly who was standing on the other side of that door, her heart still felt like it was going to jump out of her chest when she opened the door and saw Toni standing there.

"Hi," the redhead greeted, her lips trying their hardest not to curl into too big of a smile.

It seemed like Toni was doing the same thing.

"Hi," she breathed. 

"Come in," Cheryl welcomed her, opening the door wider to let her in. 

The two of them went upstairs to Cheryl's bedroom. This time, things felt a lot more comfortable—a lot less tense. Toni didn't feel like she was walking on thin ice anymore. They had established some sort of positive relationship when they hung out that day. Toni wasn't exactly sure  _what_ they were, but she could certainly tell that Cheryl didn't hate her guts anymore.

"Um, well, we can just proofread our written work and then go through our presentation to make sure everything's good," Cheryl suggested. 

Toni nodded her head, "Sounds good."

So, maybe they didn't need to  _meet up_ to do this part of their project—the proofreading and double-checking stage. But Cheryl was honestly looking for any excuse to invite Toni to hang out again. Her nerves kept getting into her head and making her feel insecure about and fearful of asking Toni to hang out. The easiest thing to do was to come up with an excuse like working on their project. Then, it wouldn't have to seem like Cheryl wanted to hang out... they just  _had_ to hang out because of their stupid, annoying English project.

As Cheryl opened up her laptop to open the document with their written work, Toni glanced over at her, trying to analyze the redhead.

"So, any reason in particular that I needed to come over to proofread our project?"

Cheryl pressed her lips together. Well, damn. She was hoping Toni just wouldn't question this at all.

"Um, it's easier if we do it together," she shrugged her shoulders.

"Right," Toni nodded her head in disbelief. "And that's the only reason I'm here?"

"Mhm," Cheryl hummed, trying to keep her face calm and focused on her laptop. 

Toni chuckled quietly, shaking her head. She still didn't believe the redhead, but she knew there was no way she would get her to admit that she actually just  _wanted_ her to come over. Maybe later, but not now. She was way too stubborn and her ego was just way too big. 

Toni scooted closer to Cheryl on the bed to get a better look at her laptop. And maybe to be a little bit closer to Cheryl, too... That, of course, didn't bite too much.

"It looks fine to me," Toni commented.

Cheryl rolled her eyes, "You can't possibly say that! We haven't even read through the words. There could be plenty of typos in there, you know."

"Maybe," the Serpent shrugged her shoulders. 

Toni somehow ended up dangerously close to Cheryl, her chin brushing over Cheryl's shoulder to "look at the laptop." Cheryl kept trying to keep her eyes on the screen, but she was tempted to look back at Toni. Tempted, but she knew that she might not be able to control herself if she turned around. She might do something stupid (stupid, but good). 

But she did it anyway.

Temptation got the best of the redhead, and she turned around. Both of their faces were so close that they could feel each other's breath. So little distance between them, and Cheryl's temptation was taking control of her again, making her want to lean in and close that already minimal distance between their faces.

"I..." she whispered, chewing on her lip. "I didn't, um... I didn't just invite you over for the project."

Toni didn't seem surprised at all. 

"I know," Toni whispered back.

Then, both of them let go of any inhibitions, mutually leaning in until their lips touched, so gently, so softly... Their lips brushed against one another's, barely doing anything, just feeling the softness of the other's lips. Cheryl pushed a bit forward, fully pressing her lips against Toni's. She let go of her laptop, letting it slide off of her lap and onto the bed. Her hands found Toni's cheeks, holding them firmly to keep herself steady as their mouths moved together. Toni rested her hand on Cheryl's thigh.

Toni fell back on the bed, pulling Cheryl down with her. Toni's head hit the pillow. Her hands moved to the back of Cheryl's neck. Cheryl opened her mouth, allowing Toni's tongue to slip inside. The Serpent heard a tiny whimper escape Cheryl's mouth. Toni wondered if they were supposed to go further than this. Right now, they were just kissing like crazy; she wondered if she was supposed to make a move to do more. What if that pushed Cheryl away?

Before Toni had the chance to make any decisions, Cheryl pulled back from her. The redhead's breathing was unsteady as she stared right into Toni's eyes. She swallowed hard, stunned that this had even just happened. And she couldn't even begin to explain all of the things she felt right now and while it was happening. 

"Cheryl," Toni said, biting her lip. She brought her arms back down to her side. The expression on Cheryl's face was worrying to her—she didn't want the redhead to regret what happened between them yet  _again_. There was no doubt that she regretted the first time they hooked up.

At least they weren't drunk this time, so they couldn't blame it on that. Cheryl had wanted to kiss her, too, right? 

"I'm sorry," Cheryl pulled even further away now, getting off of Toni. She sat on her knees, now unable to look at the other girl. 

"For  _what_ , exactly?" Toni asked, furrowing her eyebrows. "You have nothing to be sorry for..."

It was reassuring to hear that. She didn't know why, but she suddenly became fearful about kissing Toni; she suddenly started to panic that maybe Toni didn't even want to be kissing her, so she made a mistake by messing up the one sort of good thing she had in her life. Even if nothing ever happened between them again, Cheryl knew that she wanted Toni in her life. She liked having a real friend who actually cared about her. 

"We can work on the project, if you want," Toni suddenly said, realizing that Cheryl was now uncomfortable in this situation. She figured that Cheryl wasn't the best at talking about her feelings—Toni didn't blame her. She herself sometimes struggled to talk about her feelings, too. 

Toni shifted on the bed, reaching over to pick up Cheryl's laptop.

"Here," she said, handing the device to the redhead.

"Thanks..."

* * *

Often times, Cheryl found it hard to sleep.

Usually, it was having horrific nightmares or thoughts about things that had happened to her. Bad thoughts and dreams were commonly centered around her parents and what happened to Jason. She thought about Jason a lot. Sometimes, she had dreams where he was alive, and hated waking up to the sad reality that he was gone. 

But lately, her having trouble sleeping wasn't because of Jason... or her parents—it was because of Toni.

Not in a bad way, though. She couldn't sleep because she was thinking of the pink-haired girl. She thought about the way they had kissed that day, on this very bed. She thought about the sweet taste of Toni's lips... the sensation she got when Toni's tongue went inside of her mouth. She thought about the way her heart was beating like a fool to have Toni so close to her—how she was craving so much more when they were together.

She found herself thinking about Toni a lot. She had already been thinking about her a lot after they hung out at Pop's, but even more so now that they had kissed.

Cheryl thought about asking her out... maybe. Maybe they could go to Pop's again, but this time they could call it a real first date. Cheryl wanted to see her again—she hadn't seen her alone since they kissed. They spoke in class sometimes, but Cheryl wanted more.

The day they had to present their English project on  _Brave New World_ finally came around. They turned in their written work to Mr. Bennett and gave a pretty good presentation. When they headed back to their seats in class when they were done presenting, Cheryl glanced at Toni.

"Good job," the redhead complimented. "I think that went well."

"Me too," Toni smiled.

The bell rang. Toni offered another small smile before heading toward the door. Cheryl hurried, trying to catch up with the Serpent.

"Oh, hey," Toni turned her head, slightly surprised that Cheryl was trying to walk with her. She wondered if the redhead wanted to talk about it—the kiss. They still hadn't talked about it. "Um, what's up?"

"Um..." Cheryl bit her lip as they arrived at Toni's locker. The Serpent twisted the lock to her combination, pulling the locker open and shoving her English books inside of it. "I just... I wanted to ask you something."

"Go for it."

"So, there's um... there's this stupid thing on Friday—this party," Cheryl started, stumbling over her words. She felt like a fool, her cheeks heating up so much that she was sure they were bright red. Toni turned to face her, a smug little smile coming up on her face, making Cheryl even more nervous. "Veronica's parents are out of town this weekend, so she's throwing something, and I... I don't know, I was wondering if maybe you'd want to check it out with me?"

Toni was grinning even more smugly now. 

"You're asking  _me_ to go to Veronica's party with you?" Toni asked.

"I guess I am?" Cheryl smiled. "I mean, you don't have to go if you don't want to. It's just... Veronica's been on my ass about going, so I kind of have to. And she's probably going to be sucking face with Archie the whole time, so it wouldn't hurt to have some company. It's probably going to suck and I thought that maybe you could make it suck a little... less?"

"Okay," Toni smiled, nodding her head. "If you want me there, I'll be there. Text me the address?"

"Of course," Cheryl nodded her head.

"Alright," Toni said, still smiling. "I should get to class now. See you later."

Cheryl just stood there, somewhat in awe about how well that went. Part of her was worried that Toni would give her crap for asking her to go to Veronica Lodge's party; she was surprised that the Serpent was so willing to come with her. But after all, she had come to Cheryl's party with a little persuasion from Jughead.

* * *

"You're coming to my party, right?"

" _Yes_ , why do you keep asking?"

Veronica glared at her, leaning back against the couch in Riverdale High's common room. "Well, you kept brushing it off when I asked you before. It didn't seem like you really wanted to go, so... I just wanted to make sure."

Cheryl shrugged, "Don't worry, I'll be there."

"Good," Veronica smiled. "I'd hate to force you, though. I mean, I want you to come, but if you  _really_ don't want to go, it's fine."

"No, I'm coming," Cheryl reassured the girl. "Besides... I don't exactly  _loathe_ the idea of going anymore."

Veronica looked up at her, stunned.

"What changed your mind?" she asked. "Just a few days ago when I asked you, you didn't seem into it at all."

"I know, but..." Cheryl bit her lip. "I invited someone."

"You did  _what_?" Veronica asked, eyes widening with a huge smile on her face. "Cheryl! This is  _hug_ _e_! Who the hell is it?"

"It's not... like that. We're friends."

"Friends,  _sure_. I totally believe that, given the way you're blushing right now. Whoever this 'friend' is, you clearly want it to become 'more than friends.' And I am  _dying_ to meet your mystery man." 

 _Mystery man_. The words stung Cheryl a little bit. She had never talked to Veronica about  _that_. She believed that Veronica wouldn't judge her for it, but she had never talked about this to anyone. She had never really dealt with her feelings for girls; she had never brought them up aloud. And she wanted,  _so badly_ , to talk to Veronica about it, but she suddenly found herself shying away from it. Just the fact that Veronica said "mystery man" made this harder. She didn't know if she could handle the shock and the questions right now.

"What's his name?" Veronica pressed, shaking Cheryl's arm repeatedly. "C'mon, give me a name!"

Cheryl shrugged her shoulders, "I don't kiss and tell. Besides, you'll meet at the party, right?"

Veronica shook her head, glaring.

"Oh, you're evil. Way to tease me about this," Veronica laughed. "And did you say  _kiss and tell_? So, you've  _kissed_ , then? That doesn't sound like 'just a friend' to me."

"Maybe..." Cheryl blushed. "I'm not giving you anymore than that."

Veronica was about to press her even more, but then Archie appeared in the doorway of the common room. 

"Ronnie," he called, waving.

"Lucky for you, my Archiekins is here, so I can't bother you more about this right now," Veronica sighed. "But I'll make sure to later! And I cannot  _wait_ to see him at my party on Friday!"

Cheryl felt a pit in her stomach as Veronica got up from the couch and disappeared with Archie by her side. She wasn't ready to tell Veronica about this. She was planning on coming up with a lie on Friday, maybe telling her that the guy just couldn't make it, but she brought her friend Toni instead. It was regressive—she was aware of that—but she didn't know how to handle telling people about this, if it was even anything.

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

"Thanks again for coming with me tonight."

Toni smiled at the redhead as she pulled herself out of the car.

"Of course," she said.

The two of them started toward the Pembrooke, heading inside. The man at the front desk of the lobby smiled at them. Many other familiar faces from Riverdale High School were heading up the stairs or into the elevator.

"Hi, I'm here to see Veronica Lodge," Cheryl announced to the man, who simply nodded his head.

"Yeah, that's who everyone coming in is here to see," he chuckled. "Go on in." 

Cheryl and Toni decided to take the stairs to avoid the large crowd of people waiting for the elevator. When they got up to Veronica's floor, Cheryl led them to her large, luxurious apartment building. The door was already open, heavy-bass music blasting. As soon as they entered, Veronica practically leaped off of Archie's lap and came to greet them.

" _Cheryl_!" she exclaimed, pulling the redhead in for a long hug, leaving an awkward Toni standing there. "You're  _here_!" 

"Yes, as I told you I would be," Cheryl nodded her head. 

She was somewhat anxious about this moment. She figured Veronica would remember their conversation from school, even though she had clearly gotten to drinking already, considering the half-empty red solo cup in her hand. She smiled devilishly as Cheryl.

"... _aand_ where's that hottie date of yours?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

Cheryl groaned internally, seeing the smug look on Toni's face from the corner of her eye. She was frustrated 1) because Veronica had remember to ask about the 'mystery man' and 2) Toni was now probably going to tease her for bringing up having a date to Veronica. Toni thought it was humorous, honestly. She figured Cheryl didn't have purely friendly intentions when she invited her to the party, but she didn't know they were going as "dates." In fact, she didn't even know people brought  _dates_ to parties like this.

"Um, he wasn't able to make it, but I brought my friend from school: Toni Topaz," Cheryl introduced.

Veronica seemed disappointed. She was really looking forward to meet Cheryl's "mystery man." 

"Aww, that's too bad. Maybe another time," Veronica sighed. "Nice to meet you... actually, didn't we meet the other night at that movie outside of Pop's?" 

Toni nodded her head, "We did."

"Well, nice to see you again, anyway!" Veronica exclaimed.

Cheryl raised her eyebrows, "How are you even having a party here? Is that bellboy peasant downstairs not going to tattle to Mommy and Daddy?" 

"No, he's cool," Veronica smiled. "We're friends. I told him about it way before and he promised me that he wouldn't say a word to them. He's good about this stuff. He never tells my parents when I sneak Archiekins in!"

"How lovely," Cheryl commented sarcastically.

Cheryl kept walking forward; Toni followed. She grabbed the redhead's arm, pulling her back.

"Whoa there," Toni chuckled. "Slow down, Bombshell. What was that all about, anyway?"

"What do you mean?" Cheryl asked quickly and nervously.

"That whole thing with Veronica," Toni blinked several times. "How your 'date' isn't here? I didn't know that you were seeing someone. Should I be jealous?"

Cheryl glared at her.

"I told her that I invited someone and she assumed it was a guy, and I..." Cheryl paused. 

"...didn't want to tell her that it was a girl?" Toni finished. 

Cheryl stared at her nervously. She probably wasn't going to like that response very much.

"I get that," Toni, surprisingly, said, shrugging her shoulders. "By the way," she smirked, "I didn't know that I was your date tonight."

Before Cheryl could come up with a witty comment to fire back, her eyes caught another figure coming in through the door. He seemed a bit out of place, as if he was unsure if he should come inside, but did so anyway (although Cheryl wished he hadn't). He was tall, cleanly shaven, and his doubts quickly turned into a smirk when he locked eyes with Cheryl.

Fearfully, Cheryl glanced to Veronica because she was the only one who would understand this. Unfortunately for her, Veronica was now fully on top of Archie's lap, practically devouring his face. She swallowed hard, trying to focus on Toni.

"Hey," Toni said, furrowing her eyebrows. "Is everything okay, Cheryl?"

"Yes, yeah... I'm fine," she lied, trying her hardest to look away from him.

But soon enough, Veronica spotted the male who had walked in. She basically jumped off of Archie's lap (again), rushing over to the guy to confront him. 

" _Nick St. Clair_ ," Veronica hissed venomously. "What the hell do you think you're doing, showing up here? I don't remember giving you a goddamn invite."

The scruffy, brown-haired male rolled his eyes with a bitter chuckle.

"Well, it doesn't goddamn matter, Lodge," he folded his arms. "I heard about your party through a buddy and I'm lookin' for a place to chill and grab a drink, so I'm here. You might want to kick me out of here, but if you do, I'm calling the cops on this whole thing."

Veronica glared at him, "You are such an asshole, you know that? If you so much as lay a  _finger_ on anybody tonight, I'll have Daddy kill you. Or maybe I'll beat your ass again and this time I'll actually murder you." 

"Calm the hell down," he rolled his eyes again. "I'm not gonna do anything. I just want to drink a bit and unwind." 

"That better be it. And don't go anywhere  _near_ Cheryl, or you're definitely a dead man."

Nick simply walked past her, going over to the table to grab a red cup and pour himself a drink. He mixed soda with some vodka before taking a sip, his eyes locking on Cheryl again. Cheryl felt her heart sink when she realized that he was  _still_ there. She couldn't believe that he was still there after talking to Veronica. She thought that Veronica would surely have his ass escorted out of there immediately. 

Cheryl glanced over at Veronica, who was looking at her apologetically. She mouthed an "I'm sorry," before sitting down on the couch. Veronica certainly intended on watching Nick St. Clair closely that night—she wasn't going to let him touch anybody and she wasn't going to let him hurt Cheryl ever again.

"You are  _really_ tense right now," Toni informed the redhead. "Do you want me to get you something to drink?"

"That would be nice. Something strong, please," she said.

Toni nodded her head before heading to the table to pour them drinks. She grabbed two red solo cups from the bag and filled them up with some mix of drinks. Cheryl eyes moved over to Nick again, who had apparently turned his attention to Toni. He walked back over to the table, hovering over the Serpent as she poured drinks.

"God, have you ever heard of personal space?"

Nick just chuckled. 

"Sorry, you're just so goddamn beautiful, I had to take a closer look," he tried to charm. "Want me to make you a drink better than that? I'm real good at it, I swear." 

Cheryl's eyes widened. She couldn't believe that he hadn't learned his lesson. Was he really going after Toni now? She wanted so badly to go over there and punch him in the face for what he did to her and for even going near Toni, but she also didn't want to confront him. She wanted to stay out of that asshole's way forever.

"Um, no. I'm good," she replied.

"Wait up!" he smiled. "You're gonna leave a dude hanging without so much as a name?" 

"Not interested, dude," she rolled her eyes before walking back to Cheryl. 

Tensely, Cheryl asked, "What did he want?"

"Probably something sleazy," Toni scoffed. "He was flirting or something. Offered to make me a drink. He seemed pretty douchey." 

"He is," Cheryl said too quickly.

Toni looked up curiously. "Do you know him or something?"

"N-no, not really. Not well or anything. I just know he's bad news... so, I'd stay away from him." 

Toni rolled her eyes playfully, "Trust me, Bombshell, I had no intention of  _not_ staying away from him. To be honest, there's only one person I want to stay  _with_ tonight."

"Oh, yeah?" Cheryl got comfortable again, trying her hardest to relax and forget about the fact that Nick was at the party. "And who's that, Toni?"

The Serpent started leaning in, wanting to steal a kiss (hoping everyone else was too drunk and in their own world to notice what was going on). The redhead leaned in as well, seeming like she was going in for a kiss, too. But before their lips could touch, Cheryl backed up with a smirk on her face.

"Hmm, I have to run to the bathroom. Guess this will have to wait then, huh?" she teased.

"You're a tease, aren't you?"

Cheryl just winked at her before shuffling around the building to find the nearest empty bathroom. The first one she found had people throwing up in the toilet, so she was forced to look for a different one. Before she could slip inside the bathroom, Nick snuck right in front of her. 

"Well, well, well... if it isn't Cheryl damn Blossom." 

Her heart started racing. She flinched as she was forced to stare at him and those haunting sea green eyes. He may look like a charmer, but Cheryl knew what he was capable of—she knew the monster that he really was. She just wanted to throw her drink in his face and kick him in the balls, but she wasn't too sure that was a good idea in a public setting.

"Get the hell away from me, Nick," she growled. "Why the hell are you even here?"

"It's a fucking party," he scoffed. "Besides, what are you so afraid of? That you'll get so damn wasted that you'll be all over me again?" 

Cheryl clenched one of her fists, resisting every urge she had to attack him right then and there. 

"God, why don't you calm down?" he chuckled, reaching forward and placing a hand on her shoulder.

Cheryl felt her eyes getting watery as she remembered  _that night_ with him—the way she felt so dizzy, stumbling onto that bed... how he started to take his clothes off, until thank  _God_ , Veronica and Josie came inside and beat his ass before he could do anything to her. All Cheryl knew for sure was that he was sick and twisted.

"Get  _off_ me, you—" she hissed, slapping his hand away from her. 

"Is that really how you're gonna be, Cheryl?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "You're gonna be mad at me because you're ashamed of what you  _wanted_ to do with me? Not my fault you had way too much to drink that night and were practically throwing yourself at me. It's like you were begging me to fuck you." 

Anger was surging through Cheryl's body. Oh God, she wanted to hit him so badly—the vile things he was saying were too much of her. That wasn't what happened that night and she knew it.

"You're so desperate that you're still pretending that's what happened?"

Nick chuckled bitterly, rolling his eyes. "Alright, so maybe I put something in your drink, but that doesn't fucking matter, Red. You're the one who's desperate. You wanted it that night, I know it. And I was only hanging out with you that night to make you feel wanted, 'cause I knew you didn't feel that way. I was just trying to be a nice guy; you were the one coming onto me. I was only gonna fuck you to make you feel better about yourself—to make you feel like  _somebody_ wanted to. But in all honesty, I'm glad it didn't happen, 'cause why the hell would anyone want to fuck your emotionally damaged ass?"

Now, Cheryl's anger had faded, and it was mainly just sadness coursing through her. Her eyes were so filled with water now that she was sure they would explode and release all of her tears any moment. She hated the things that he was saying... she hated how true they seemed—she hated  _him_ and everything about him. 

"Nobody would actually want to fuck _you_ , Cheryl. Maybe they'd want your body, but they don't want you." 

She felt chills when he said it because it really did seem true. She was sure that guys had wanted her before; she knew plenty of guys who had flirted with her and wanted to have sex with her... it was just that she was aware they didn't actually like her personality. When they wanted to have sex with her, it was only because they thought she was hot. It was never because they liked her as a person and wanted to have meaningful sex. 

"That... isn't true..."

Nick scoffed, "If it isn't true, then why are you crying? Why do you care that I said it, huh?" 

"Because it isn't... it isn't true." 

"You keep telling yourself that," he shrugged his shoulders. "Frankly, I don't care what the hell you do. But you don't have to worry about me trying anything on you, 'cause I don't even want to. You're not worth it." 

Cheryl brushed past him, rushing into the bathroom. She locked the door, leaning against it, breathing heavily. The tears started pouring out of her eyes. Slowly, she walked over to the mirror, staring at herself. It felt true. Nobody wanted to fuck the real her.

* * *

 

After heading back from the bathroom, Cheryl took a few more shots at the table before heading to where Toni was sitting on the couch. 

"Took you long enough," Toni laughed. Cheryl definitely seemed more out of it now than when she first left. "How much have you had to drink?"

The redhead shrugged her shoulders, "Just a few shots... nothing much."

"Okay. Wanna sit down or what?"

Cheryl tilted her head, licking her lips.

"I have a better idea."

She reached over, taking Toni's red cup out of her hand and placing it on the table next to the couch. She offered the Serpent a hand, helping her up.

"Where the hell are we going?"

Cheryl didn't reply; instead, she kept holding Toni's hand, leading her somewhere. Then, Toni started to get an idea of what was going on. Cheryl pushed the white door of the room open, pulling Toni inside. As soon as she kicked the door shut, she pressed Toni against the door, leaning down to push her lips against hers. 

"Mmm, Cheryl—"

Cheryl just silenced her by kissing her harder. Toni decided to not object, and instead kissed the redhead back, holding on to her waist as their mouths moved together. She slowly started to push Cheryl back toward the bed, which was where this was clearly intended to head. 

Toni pushed Cheryl down on the bed. The two of them moved back, Cheryl's head resting on the pillow while Toni was pressed on top of her. Almost desperately, Cheryl pulled Toni's head down so that she could connect their lips, kissing her fiercely. Toni could barely keep up with how fast Cheryl was going. The redhead pushed Toni's jacket off of her shoulders and was now hurriedly trying to get the Serpent's top off.

"Cheryl," Toni mumbled, breaking their lips apart. "Cheryl, maybe we shouldn't—not like this."

But apparently, Cheryl really didn't want to stop. She kissed Toni again and Toni was trying to get back into it. But this time, the Serpent could feel hot tears from the redhead's face. The tears were rolling down Cheryl's face while they were kissing, some reaching her mouth; Toni could taste the salt. Between the strong taste of alcohol and the salty tears, Toni knew that this couldn't go on any longer. Once more, she pulled away from Cheryl, but this time, got off of her, too. She sat beside the redhead, who was crying even more now.

"Can you please tell me what's going on?" Toni asked, trying to be gentle. 

"You don't want me, do you?"

Toni was baffled by the question, almost falling back.  _What_? She had to be crazy, right? 

"I  _do_ ," she assured her. "God, of  _course_ I do, Cheryl. It's just... you're crying and you're not okay right now, so will you just tell me what's wrong?" 

Toni reached forward, placing her hands on Cheryl's cheeks. She used her thumbs to wipe away some of the tears on her face. 

"Please?" she pleaded. "I can't be here for you if you don't let me in..." 

The redhead was still silent, contemplating whether or not she should talk about it. The only people she had really discussed this with were Veronica and Josie, and that was only because they were the ones who were there when it happened. 

"Is this about that guy?" Toni guessed. 

Part of her was fearful that the guy meant something to Cheryl, but she had to set any fears aside right now to be there for the redhead. She bit her lip when she saw Cheryl's head nod just a bit—it was about that guy. 

"Nick St. Clair," she started fearfully, "tried to... rape me." 

Toni could barely believe the words when she heard them; she didn't want this to be true. She took Cheryl's hand and squeezed it, continuing to try to be there for her although anger was boiling inside of her. She had felt that something was off about that guy earlier, but she figured he was just a typical slimy douchebag guy, something that was pretty common. Never would she have thought that he had also attempted to rape somebody. 

"I won't pretend I wasn't interested in him, but... he put something in my drink that night and took me back to his room," she swallowed hard as she told the story. "I don't really remember everything because of... you know, but... I do know that Veronica and Josie came in and saved me."

Cheryl continued, "And tonight, he came up to me while I was heading to the bathroom... he said all these horrible things to me..."

She was crying again. Toni reached up with her free hand, trying to wipe the tears away. 

"What did he say to you?" she asked.

The redhead swallowed hard before answering: "He said things like... I'm the one who wanted him that night, and... he told me that nobody would really want me... that he only was going to have sex with me because he wanted to make me feel better—and the worst part is that some of the things that he said were actually true."

"What? No, they're not. Don't let him get inside your head," she shook her head.

"He was right, Toni," Cheryl frowned. "People always want my body; they don't want  _me_."

Toni shook her head. 

"Don't ever say any of those things again. Nothing he said is true, okay?" she told her. "He was probably just trying to make himself feel better because he did something terrible. All those people who want your body and not you just haven't gotten to know you." 

Cheryl wanted to believe her, but it felt like she was just saying all of this to comfort her and to be nice. 

"Trust me," she said. "The Cheryl I've been getting to know is... amazing. If they knew the real you, they'd want all of you. I guarantee it. All these other people don't matter, anyway. I'm here right now, Cheryl, and I want  _you_." 

The redhead couldn't help but smile. She leaned forward, pecking Toni's lips.

"I also want to beat the crap out of Nick, but I'll save that for another time." 

Cheryl was playing with her own fingers; she hesitantly looked over at Toni, who was waiting for her to say something.

"'Not like this,'" she echoed the words Toni had said before. "What did you mean when you said that?"

Toni offered her half a smile, her eyes fixed on the redhead. All the cards were on the table now anyway, weren't they? She had already admitted that she wanted Cheryl, so there was no point in holding anything back. Besides, with the alcohol in Cheryl's system, maybe she wouldn't remember every detail of the night. Toni hadn't had much to drink, so she knew she'd remember everything. But even if Cheryl remembered everything, Toni could just blame some of it on the alcohol.

"If we're doing  _that_ again, I hope we, um... I want us to do it right," Toni admitted, still gazing at the redhead. "I don't want it to be when we've both been drinking and when you're in a bad place. I just want to do it right." 

"Oh," Cheryl's lips curved into a slight smile, her eyes now staring back at the Serpent. 

That was reassuring. Cheryl had already been convinced before, but she was sure that Toni wasn't just in this for her body, or sex, or whatever. Maybe Cheryl couldn't understand exactly  _why_ , but for whatever reason, Toni actually seemed to like her personality.

"Do you want me to take you home?" the Serpent asked. 

The redhead nodded her head. She wasn't in much of a party mood, anyway. Honestly, the only reason she had been looking forward to Veronica's party before was because she got to bring Toni to it. 

"Can we..." Cheryl started, biting her lip. The sudden pause worried Toni. "...get food on the way back?"

The Serpent chuckled, nodding her head, "Yeah, sure... of course. Pop's?" 

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALSO, random note: I read all of your comments and they are SO, SO kind! I know I haven't replied to everyone, but I really do appreciate all of you for reading and commenting. It makes me so happy. I appreciate you all so much. I'm glad that you all are here with me to enjoy Choni's beautiful relationship.

Coming up from behind, Sweet Pea put his hands on the shoulders of the pink-haired girl. Quickly, she jerked her head so that she was looking at him, shooting him a long glare. He held his hands up in surrender, chuckling quietly.

" _Still_ ogling the princess?" he teased, folding his arms. "You've gotta quit it with that, Topaz. It's not going to end well."

Toni glared at him harder. 

"What is your problem?" she squinted her eyes.

"Nothing," Sweet Pea shrugged his shoulders. "Surprisingly, I actually care about you, so I don't want you to get hurt. And don't get me wrong, she'd definitely hot, but do you  _really_ think that it's gonna work out? Is she even into girls?"

"First of all, who said  _I'm_ into  _her_?"

Toni wasn't sure if she could pull it off, because she was so totally into her. And apparently, it was so obvious that Sweet Pea noticed.

"Jones said you were at Veronica Lodge's party with her," Sweet Pea told her. "And besides, I see the way you've been looking at her lately. I wouldn't be surprised if 'working on that project' turned into something else. But if you're actually getting some from Cheryl Blossom, I'm impressed... It takes skill to shack up with one of the prissiest Northsiders there is."

Toni moved closer to Sweet Pea, the glare growing stronger.

"Sweets, I love you, but don't you dare talk about her like that."

Sweet Pea grinned smugly, "So, I'm taking that as you  _are_ into her."

"Look, I don't have to tell you anything."

"Yeah, you don't," Sweet Pea agreed, nodding his head. "But as much as I like teasing you, if she's actually important to you, I wanna know more about her. There's gotta be a reason you like her so much, right?" 

"What are you saying?" Toni asked, confused.

"We're like family, Topaz. If she's important to you, I wanna know her," he clarified. "You should bring her 'round to the Whyte Wyrm or something... y'know, so she can get a sense of  _your_ world. Seems like you're only seeing her world."

Toni pressed her lips together. It was true that the two of them spent most of their time together in the North Side. In fact, Toni wasn't sure that she had ever been to the South Side with Cheryl. Since she started attending Riverdale High School, Toni had seen plenty of the North Side— she had seen plenty of Cheryl's world and Cheryl's friends, but the redhead hadn't really seen much of hers. 

But at the same time, Toni wasn't sure she  _wanted_ Cheryl to see her world. The South Side, obviously, wasn't the nicest place. And one of the reasons that Cheryl hated the Serpents so much was because of their involvement in her brother's murder, which to an extent, Toni understood. 

Part of Toni feared that if Cheryl was pulled into the much darker world of the South Side, she wouldn't want to be around her anymore. The South Side was where Toni was from— that darkness was her home. She didn't want to scare Cheryl off by showing her all the stuff she was involved in there.

"I appreciate that, Sweets, but I'll pass," she sighed. "I don't think that's a good idea. Besides, she and I actually aren't..."

Sweet Pea nodded his head.

"Well, if you ever  _are_ , bring her around. You deserve someone who accepts every part of you." 

* * *

After Vixen practice that day, Cheryl lingered in the locker room much longer than the others. She took her time, applying several different body products to keep her skin as smooth as possible. As she was applying another coat of lotion, Veronica came up to her with raised eyebrows and folded arms.

" _God_ , I was trying to wait until you were done, but you take  _forever_ ," she complained.

"Well,  _sorry_ for taking such good care of my delicate skin," the redhead said sarcastically, turning to face the other girl. "What do you want, anyway?"

"Are we not friends?" Veronica gave her a small smile.

Cheryl pulled her top over her head, then analyzed the girl standing in front of her.

"I suppose we are, but  _clearly_ , you're here because you want something."

Veronica pressed her lips together, seeming nervous to talk, which could only mean that it was important, bad, or both. 

"Not something, but... I do want to talk to you  _about_ something," she began hesitantly. "About my party, to be more specific."

Cheryl froze inside a bit, feeling anxious about what was to come from this discussion. Her guess was that this was going to be about Nick St. Clair, which Cheryl didn't want to think about anymore. After talking to Toni about it at Veronica's party, all she wanted to do was move forward. She wanted a Nick-free life. Toni had helped her come to the realization that he was nothing more than a piece of trash, so nothing he said that night mattered anyway. 

"About...  _Toni Topaz_ ," Veronica clarified. Immediately, Cheryl's eyes went down to the locker room floor, afraid that they would say too much if she were looking at Veronica. "I'm not sure if I was just drunk as hell, but I saw her taking care of you— calling an Uber, holding your hand to help you leave. Would I be crazy to think that the mystery person you said 'couldn't make it' to my party was actually her and you just didn't want to tell me?"

Cheryl almost jumped back when the whole thing came out of Veronica's mouth. Of course Veronica wasn't stupid, but Cheryl didn't think she'd be able to piece anything together just yet, especially with so much alcohol in her system. 

" _What_?"

"Please don't murder me if it isn't true," Veronica bit her lip. "I'm just asking, okay? I would understand why you'd be scared to tell me. And I know you said you hate the Serpents and all, but..."

Veronica was startled when Cheryl looked up at her with teary, watery eyes. She didn't expect to have hit a nerve with that; she just wanted to know what was going on with her friend. 

"You— you can't tell anyone, okay?" the redhead choked out.

"No,  _never_ — I would never," Veronica assured her.

Before thinking anything through or processing what Cheryl had wordlessly confessed, Veronica surged forward and pulled the redhead in for a long, warming hug. She wrapped her arms around the redhead's body, pulling her close. Some of the tears from Cheryl's eyes stained Veronica's shirt, but none of that mattered in the moment. 

Veronica wished she had noticed sooner instead of being so clueless. She could only imagine how alone Cheryl had felt going through this with nobody on her side. But from what she saw that night, Toni actually seemed to be quite caring. 

"Cheryl, you can tell me  _anything_ in the world," Veronica said when they pulled back from the hug. "Did you think I'd judge you for it?" 

She shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. But I judged  _myself_ for it. My hideous mother always made me feel so deviant when my mind went astray that I just— I tried to stop it so many times, but... I couldn't do it this time. I think I  _feel_ something for her, Veronica." 

Veronica wrapped her arms around the other girl, hugging her once again. Cheryl felt warm inside— with Toni and Veronica in her life, she was starting to feel not-so-alone anymore. 

Yet, Cheryl's heart was still all over the place. She couldn't believe what had just occurred— how she had just brought the words into the world, how she had said them aloud. Now that she had told somebody about what she had been keeping inside for so long, it actually became real. She had never really talked to anybody about her feelings for girls before. She didn't know  _how_ to because she couldn't even accept it internally, since her mother never failed to remind her how disgusting it was. She didn't want to like girls and be abnormal. All she wanted was to please her mother and be normal. 

So, perhaps she and Toni weren't "official" or anything yet, but she was certain of what she was feeling for the pink-haired Serpent. And that, to Cheryl, was huge.

* * *

Apparently, telling Veronica about her internal conflicts had pulled her much closer to the redhead. The two girls started texting and talking a lot more, mainly because Veronica was  _determined_ to help Cheryl effectively make a move on her girl.

"Can I tell you a secret?"

Veronica raised her eyebrows. "I thought we put everything out on the table long ago."

"Mostly, but... there may have been one small, teeny-tiny detail that I left out of the whole thing," Cheryl bit her lip.

It was also her first time ever telling anyone that—

"Toni and I... slept together."

" _What_?" Veronica gasped. "I thought you just kissed once at your house!?"

"No, it was, um... it was kind of a drunken mistake— it was like the first time we ever met, so, we decided to just let it go." 

" _Clearly_ not since you're still into her now. Any other huge details you left out?"

"We also almost hooked up at your party, but... the whole Nick being there thing was way too overwhelming, so that didn't happen," Cheryl said, shrugging and trying to sound nonchalant.

Veronica's eyes widened even more.

"And I was starting to think I was your confidante!" 

"You may be the closest thing I have to one, so I suppose you are. But you should feel honored that I told you any of that, as I haven't exactly told anyone else yet," Cheryl mentioned.

Veronica glared. "Oh, I am  _so_ going to grill you later for not telling me, but for now... Toni may or may not be walking down the hallway  _right now_. Stick to the plan!"

" _What_?"

Before Cheryl knew it, she was left alone because Veronica rushed away. The redhead stood in the hallway with wide eyes, nervously watching the pink-haired Serpent that was making her way through. Cheryl took a deep breath. She thought getting Veronica's help would make this easier, but it was only making her even more nervous than usual. 

She smiled awkwardly as she practically forced herself in Toni's way, almost making the other girl fall over. Luckily, Toni had good reflexes, so she maintained her balance even after Cheryl made her stumble a bit.

"Oh— hey," Toni smiled.

Cheryl glanced over to her right, where Veronica was watching carefully with intrigued eyes. Cheryl was looking to her with pleading eyes, seeking some help from the other girl. But Veronica simply gave her an affirming nod, trying to tell her to just go for it and stick to the plan. 

"H-hey," Cheryl scratched her head, suddenly feeling even more nervous. "Would you, um... would you like to watch a movie?" 

"What?" Toni was startled. "Like, _together_?"

"Well, yes... that was part of it; I suppose I should have clarified more, but—"

"I would love to," she smiled.

"You would?" Cheryl asked, shocked. She quickly shook it off, "I mean, good. I'm glad. My house?" 

"Oh, I thought you meant a movie at the movie theater or something."

"Wait, did you want to do that?" she asked too quickly. "We can do that, Toni. We can go to the movies instead." 

"Whoa there..." Toni chuckled. "Cheryl, I'm more than happy coming over to watch the movie. I'm just happy I get to spend time with you." 

 _Overload_ was the state Cheryl's brain was in. Her heart was fluttering and she was pretty sure that she was smiling like a complete dork. 

"Okay, great, I will... see you tonight?" 

"Sure." 

Unsteadily, Cheryl backed away from the pink-haired girl, who offered her another small smile before continuing down the hallway of their school. Cheryl kept staring at her with total heart eyes until she almost backed into Veronica, who had witnessed the entire thing. Veronica held the redhead's shoulders steadily, trying to calm her down. 

"She is  _so_ into you, just saying..." 

Cheryl blushed. " _Whatever_! What is the next phase of this? What movie are we even watching?" 

"Don't worry," Veronica squeezed her shoulders. "I'll take care of that. You just have her show up. Things will be perfect. And sexy." 

Cheryl was about to question her, but Veronica just smiled proudly and walked away. 

* * *

_Check outside your front door. You're welcome. XO -V_

The redhead tapped the button on the side of her cell phone to turn it off, pushing one leg forward to get herself off of the living room couch. She took hurried steps to the front door, seeing what magnificent gift Veronica had left her to "perfect" her night with Toni. Cheryl usually liked to be the one in control, so she was taking a huge risk letting Veronica steer this one. It was just that Cheryl had never really managed a relationship before— she had never been in a real relationship, so she was afraid that she would mess this up before it ever turned into one. Of course, she agreed when Veronica assured her that she would take care of all the details, including deciding what movie they'd watch. She had said that she had something "perfect" in mind for the occasion.

There was a small brown package outside of Cheryl's door. She picked the box up, taking it inside of her large home. She set the box down on the living room couch, slowly tearing into it to see what was inside of it. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head when she saw lingerie, handcuffs, and a DVD set with Fifty _Shades of Grey_. Involuntarily, the redhead's eye twitched.  _This_ was Veronica's idea of a good date? 

There was no way in hell that Cheryl was about to use any of these objects. Cheryl was all about sex appeal (in fact, people often saw that as her best quality), but that wasn't the vibe between her and Toni. Perhaps their "relationship" started out in a sexual way, but it was far from being all about sex. It was the purest, most honest thing that Cheryl had in her life at the moment. 

So, maybe it was a good, sexy date idea for Archie and Veronica, but Cheryl wasn't going to have any of it. And she was totally going to rip into Veronica later for trying to make this some sex-driven event. But for now, Cheryl decided that she was going to gain control again. Veronica wasn't running this; she would never fully understand this and Cheryl didn't blame her. 

But before Cheryl could shift the night's plans as she pleased, the pink-haired Serpent appeared in front of her in her living room.

"You left your front door unlocked, you know." 

 "Holy crap, you scared me!" 

Toni tilted her head, that crooked smile appearing on her face. Cheryl found it cute. 

"Sorry," the Serpent chuckled. "Um, so, I guess I'll address the elephant in the room. I didn't know the attire for tonight was...  _sexy_." 

Cheryl swallowed hard, realizing how pathetic she looked at the moment with a box of lingerie and kinky things in her hands. She dropped it on to the couch, trying to unscramble her brain to find some excuse to give Toni as to why she even had any of these objects.

"No, it's not— no," she shook her head. "This isn't what it looks like, I swear."

"Is that  _Fifty Shades of Grey_?" Toni raised her eyebrows, still smiling. "I didn't know you were into that." 

"I'm  _not_ ," Cheryl hissed. "God, no. That film is for heathens. I'm more of a  _Breakfast at Tiffany's_ type of person."

"Well, no judgment here," she shrugged. "Just curiosity."

Cheryl sighed, sitting down on her couch. 

"Look, the truth is... I may have asked Veronica for some help... planning this, and... I didn't realize what I was getting into. In all honesty, I should have expected it, considering the nature of her relationship with Archie, but," Cheryl bit her lip. "None of this stuff is me, I promise. Are you mad?" 

Toni just laughed again, taking a seat next to the redhead.

"No. Why in the world would I be mad?" she asked, arching her eyebrows. "If anything, I think it's cute how you asked Veronica for help. Did I make  _the_ Cheryl Bombshell nervous?"

Cheryl rolled her eyes, "Shut it." 

Toni analyzed the redhead in front of her. The way her long, wavy red hair fell perfectly past her chest. The way her perfect lips, coated in a thick layer of red lipstick, were pressed together. The way desire was swimming in her pool of brown eyes. And Toni was fairly sure that her eyes were mimicking Cheryl's.

"We don't— we don't have to watch a movie or anything," Toni told her. "Honestly, I'd rather just talk to you." 

"Talk to me?" Cheryl was startled, her lips curving into a smile. 

"Yeah, talk to you," Toni repeated. "I want to get to know you more. I feel like I know all these big things, but the small ones are just as important. Even the little things that make you tick." 

"Well, trust me, there are  _plenty_ of things that make me tick," Cheryl half-joked quietly. 

Toni joked back, "Yeah, I've kind of noticed that." 

Cheryl pressed her lips together, eyeing the pink-haired girl nervously.

"Before anything, I... I never got the chance to thank you for taking care of me at Veronica's party," Cheryl said, fidgeting with her hands in her lap. "I don't know if you meant the things you said that night, but they meant something to me. So, thank you for being there for me. Not just that night, but in general."

Toni nodded slowly, her eyes fixed on the redhead.

"I meant every word that I said, Cheryl." 

Cheryl swallowed hard. The look in Toni's eyes was so, so real. There was a spark in them— Cheryl knew that there was something so real between the two of them. 

"So, what is it that you wanted to know about me?" 

"Everything. But I guess you can start with your favorite book."

 


	7. Chapter 7

It was always Toni who was taking care of Cheryl— listening to her problems and comforting her. The redhead sometimes felt insecure about that. She wondered if Toni thought of her as needy and broken. She probably thought of her as someone who needed to be taken care of. Cheryl also sometimes wished that Toni would open up about her own problems because maybe then it wouldn't feel so unequal.

The other day, they had gotten to know each other better, but everything was casual conversation. They talked about their favorite things. They talked about good things, nothing too deep and personal. In some ways, it was refreshing to not talk about the heavy stuff. Usually, it was Cheryl who was spilling out about things she kept bottled up inside: Jason's death, the lack of love from her parents, and what happened with Nick St. Clair. With most people, Cheryl didn't want to talk about those things. She didn't want to seem vulnerable to them. But with Toni, everything was different. Toni cared about her and listened to her; everything she said back was perfect. She could be herself around Toni without judgment.

  
But still, Toni had never talked much about her personal life. Cheryl was minorly aware of the type of lifestyle people lived on the Southside, but that was all abstract. She didn't know about Toni's life, personally. And maybe the Serpent preferred not to talk about it, but the redhead wished she would. She wanted to know everything there was to know about the other girl.

It was surprising to her how she went from not wanting to associate with anything related to the South, to wanting to know all about a girl who lived there. That, however, didn't mean she was fond of the South. Most of the people there were still heathens in Cheryl's mind. Toni was just different from the people there. She wasn't brutish or slimy at all. There was still a vibe of the South from her, but it wasn't unattractive at all. In fact, Cheryl found her slight Southside ruggedness quite appealing— sexy, even.

"You have not kept me updated at all!" Veronica whacked the arm of the redhead, who was pulling a textbook out of her locker.

The redhead gave her an eye roll in response. She still hadn't chewed her out for her disturbing choice of activity for her "date" (Cheryl wasn't sure if she was allowed to call it that) with Toni.

"...and you need to learn that not everyone gets off from cheap erotica and BDSM," she folded her arms. "What the hell were you thinking? I'm all for sex appeal, but that is not the way to do it. Perhaps it works for Archie, but for most civilized people: no."

Veronica sighed, "I suppose it was questionable, but... I thought it would set the mood. Trust me, Fifty Shades of Grey isn't ideal, but I didn't have anything sexier on hand."

The redhead shut her locker.

"Well, I appreciate the effort anyway, but I think I'm going to take the ropes from here on out," she informed the other girl.

What she had with Toni was not entirely about sex. It may have started out that way, but it was far from what they were. As much as Cheryl wanted to go off at Veronica about how there was something meaningful between them, she decided to spare her. Besides, she had a feeling she was coming off as too sappy and emotional to Veronica already, considering how she had already gave her the debut tell-all exclusive about what was going on with Toni.

"That's fair," Veronica nodded her head, although she found it hard to hide that she was disappointed that she and the redhead were no longer teaming up.

* * *

The redhead was still craving more from Toni. She wanted to be a part of the other girl’s world— she felt like she only knew a small portion of her, but she wanted to know  _all_ of her. So, when she saw pink hair in the parking lot, she eagerly waited.

Toni was in the midst of a conversation with Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Jughead before the first two boys broke off, offering quick goodbyes. That left Toni with Jughead, which wasn’t exactly a sight that Cheryl enjoyed seeing. Whatever Jughead was saying made Toni let out an adorable little laugh. Cheryl hated how possessive she got sometimes, but seeing Jughead make her laugh like that was... irritating, to say the least.

”See you tonight!” Toni called out as Jughead finally walked off. He was smiling as he backed away from her, giving her a wave goodbye.

Cheryl had to remind herself that Jughead was with Betty and this didn’t mean anything. However, it was still unsettling to her that the two of them were apparently going to be seeing each other that night. 

Toni kept on her way, walking toward her motorcycle that was parked in the lot. She was walking absentmindedly, not taking note of her surroundings until—

“ _Cheryl_!” the Serpent cried, clearly caught off guard. “Whoa— I didn’t see you there. Sorry.” 

“Nothing to worry about,” she smiled too sweetly.

”Um...” the pink-haired girl was now feeling awkward. “What’s up, Bombshell?”

Cheryl just kept smiling.

”Would you like to get something to eat at Pop’s? Or anywhere you like— maybe we could eat somewhere on the South Side!” Cheryl suggested far too eagerly.

And Toni couldn’t believe the words. Cheryl freaking Blossom wanted to go to the South Side to eat instead of choosing one of her many North aside options? Toni had a feeling this was her way of trying to “get to know her,” and it was heartwarming. 

“I... can’t,” Toni sighed. “I’ve actually got Serpent stuff today. Maybe another day?”

She did have some time before she was meeting up with the Serpents, but she wasn’t ready for Cheryl to explore her world. She didn’t want the redhead to stop liking her. And apparently, Cheryl was making an attempt to get into the South Side, but Toni was sure that the other girl would hate every moment of it. The South Side just wasn’t meant for most people.

* * *

* * *

“Why are you shutting her out?”

Toni looked up, confused with a glass in her hand. She gave Sweet Pea a quizzical look before taking another sip of her drink.

”What do you mean?” Toni asked.

He sighed, reluctantly clarifying, “Cheryl Blossom, Topaz.”

She pressed her lips together, even more reluctant to answer him.

“You’ve been looking so down. I know you,” he chuckled. “And I can tell that there’s something between you two. You don’t have to hide it from me anymore if that’s what you’re doing. You and I are like family— I told you that I support you if Blossom’s the one you wanna go after.”

Perhaps she was noticeably down tonight while hanging out with her fellow Serpents, but she couldn’t help it. Cheryl Blossom got inside of her head way too much and completely took over her thoughts. She didn’t want it to affect her mood, but it had crept upon her anyway. The two of them were getting so close to one another that Toni was sure that it was going somewhere, but she was afraid that it would be going nowhere if Cheryl got a true taste of the South Side and the Serpent life. After all, it wasn’t much long ago that Cheryl absolutely hated the Serpents and was loathing the arrival of the South Side High School students joining Riverdale High School.

Normally, Toni would have objected and told Sweet Pea that there was nothing going on with Cheryl, but she was a few drinks in now and wasn’t in the mood for denial. She wanted to spill her mind.

”’Cause I like her, Sweets,” she confessed. “A lot, actually.”

Sweet Pea gave her a small knowing smile. She was expecting him to be more smug because— well, because he was Sweet Pea. But she was glad that his facial expression was open rather than judgmental.

”Then let her in, Topaz. You’re one of the fucking bravest people I know, so why the hell are you scared of this?” he demanded.

”I don’t want to scare her off, okay?” she tried to explain. “You know me— you know I’ve never been good at the whole relationship thing. And this time, it’s special, so I don’t want to mess it up the way I always do.”

”Every time you messed it up, it was because you didn’t want to go all in. You say it’s special this time... but the only way it’ll for sure get messed up is if you don’t go all in with it,” he told her. “You want her so badly, but you’re holding back from letting it become something real.”

She smirked at him. 

“Damn. A couple shots of vodka and you’ve turned into a wise-ass about relationships,” she rolled her eyes playfully. “I certainly suck at relationships, but if anyone sucks more, it’s you.”

He glared at her. “I don’t suck. I just don’t want a relationship— that sappy shit’s just not for me.”

She laughed, burying her head in her hands. 

“Yeah, that’s what I thought...” she sighed.

”Oh?” he grinned. “You into that sappy shit now, or what?”

She groaned loudly, slamming her fists on the table in front of her.

”I’m in a fucking gang and I’m supposed to be tough as hell, but... fuck, Sweet Pea,” she blinked her eyes several times, her heart swooning as the image of the redhead popped into her brain. “This girl has got me  _crazy_ _._ She makes me wanna buy flowers and... do cute things, I don’t know... I never wanted all of that sappy shit until I met her.” 

Sweet Pea started wiggling his eyebrows at her uncontrollably. God, if she hadn’t started drinking, she wouldn’t have been talking this much. Damn Sweet Pea cornered her at just the right moment.

”Toni Topaz, you’ve got it so damn bad for her!” he teased. “What are you waiting for, anyway? I thought you’d have already pounced on her by now.”

She chewed her lip, an expression of playful guilt taking over her face. She was so going to regret this later.

”Wow, I wasn’t wrong, then?” he smirked. “You’ve already gotten a piece of her pretty—“

”Shut the hell up,” she hissed. “We only did it once and we were drunk, okay? It was the first time we met, too, so it didn’t mean anything. Things are different now.”

”Oh, you mean they’re all emotional and you’re sappy as fuck now?” he grinned. “That’s cool, too. Don’t tell me you’re now abstinent, saving yourself until marriage with her.”

”Jeez, you’re making me cringe, Sweets. Don’t make me regress; I finally am coming to terms with the fact that I have legitimate feelings for her and I fucking want something real with her,” she sighed. 

“So, you’re basically waiting for the right time to fuck her... _romantically_?”

”Call it what you want,” she rolled her eyes. “I wanna do things right. Is that so bad?”

He looked at her sympathetically before taking another swing of his beer.

”Nah, it’s not bad at all. In fact, it’s good,” he nodded his head. “But you’re still sappy as fuck now. Whipped as fuck.”

She rolled her eyes again. 

When she looked over at Sweet Pea, she was surprised to find his eyes elsewhere. They were fixed on this pretty girl with dark brown hair and a skull tattoo on her arm. She was dressed in all black— definitely an edgy kind of girl. Toni had found that the edgy girls were always Sweet Pea’s type. 

“You should talk to her,” Toni encouraged. 

Sweet Pea then realized that he had been staring at her way too long, so he ripped his eyes away from her, focusing back on Toni.

”What? No,” he shook his head.

”Sweets, come on. I’ll be fine here by myself, I promise. In fact, I can go bother Jughead instead,” she assured him. “You haven’t had anyone in a while. Go for it.”

”Really? You think so?” he asked, turning back to look at he girl, who was now taking a swig of her beer. 

“Yeah,” she nodded her head.

Sweet Pea smiled at Toni before getting up from where he was sitting. Slowly, he approached that pretty girl, obviously trying to talk to her smoothly.

* * *

Even after her drunken conversation with Sweet Pea, Toni was unable to “move forward” with Cheryl. She wanted to be all in— she wanted to bring Cheryl into her world. And she was aware that if Cheryl didn’t accept her world, then it probably was better off that they ended things, anyway... but Toni didn’t want things between them to end. There was still a lurking fear that if Cheryl saw too much of the South Side, she would quit on them. But at the same time, she didn’t want to keep being ashamed of the South Side. Even if it was a hard, rugged lifestyle, she loved her Serpents and she was proud of being one.

As a result of her fears, Toni was unintentionally being dodgy toward Cheryl. She held up the small talk and they exchanged words at school, but she was off. And the two of them hadn’t hung out together in a while.

”T.T.,” the redhead caught her after class, “are you okay? You’ve been... weird lately.”

”No, yeah. I’m fine,” she nodded her head. “I’ve just been busy with Serpent stuff. It can get a bit overwhelming.”

”Okay. I understand,” Cheryl nodded her head, although she didn’t actually understand. She wished that she knew more about Toni, but for some reason, the other girl just wasn’t letting her all the way in. “Let me know when you’re less busy and maybe we can do something?” 

“Yeah,” Toni smiled. “I’ve missed you.”

Suddenly, Cheryl’s worried expression transformed into a satisfied look. Her smile intensified when Toni reached over to take both of her hands, squeezing them.

”I’ve missed you, too,” Cheryl said.

”I do have a Serpent thing tonight, but I’ll text you when I’m free,” Toni assured her. “I’ll see you later, Bombshell.”

Cheryl just smiled as Toni let go of her hands and walked off to her next class. From behind the redhead, Veronica shut her locker, smirking as she walked up.

”I have never seen you _this_ into somebody,” Veronica told her. “And might I add: this somebody’s a Serpent.”

Cheryl shrugged her shoulders.

”Well, her _Serpentry_... may be posing a problem for us,” she sighed. Veronica raised her eyebrows out of curiosity. “She’s always so busy with her Serpent stuff that I haven’t been able to see her in a while outside of school,” Cheryl elaborated.

”Oh, the scheming part of me wants to follow her to see what Serpent business she’s doing,” Veronica clapped her hands together.

And Cheryl certainly was tempted.

”Trust me when I tell you that I’ve considered it,” she sighed. “But perhaps I should wait until things are official before becoming a destructively protective girlfriend.”

”I see,” Veronica nodded her head. “Perfectly understandable. But what are you going to do about it?”

”I don’t know,” Cheryl admitted. “Maybe nothing.”

” _Nothing_?” Veronica was startled. “That does _not_ sound like the Cheryl Blossom I know.”

“It’s still me... but perhaps a little maturity and trust wouldn’t hurt?”

* * *

This time, Toni wasn’t exaggerating. She had some serious Serpent business to handle tonight. After a meeting at the Whyte Wyrm about how to handle a dangerous situation, the Serpents were planning on engaging in a fight with a rival gang. And Toni wasn’t looking forward to the bruises and cuts— as well as the occasional stab wound— but that was usually how things went down in a Serpent fight.

In the evening hours, the Serpents headed down to a rather barren area in the middle of the South Side, where they were supposed to meet with the rival gang for their fight.

And everything went as Toni had expected: the rival gang arrived, the fight ensued, and she was left with bruises all over her body— one even on her cheek.

She was so damn ready to go to her uncle’s trailer and sleep. Thankfully, he had been out to Toledo for a while, so she had a place to sleep without him fighting her. 

“Fuck, I took a beating,” Sweet Pea complained, rubbing his arm in pain. “But I’m seeing Alexis tonight, so I hope bruises are a turn-on.”

”Things are escalating with edgy girl, huh?” Toni asked, smiling. “I’m happy for you, Sweets.”

He chuckled, “It’s nothing serious... but I kinda like her. You know, maybe the more than just sleeping together kind of like?”

Toni was surprised. She smiled wider. Jughead caught up to them, putting his arm around both Toni and Sweet Pea.

”Guess who’s so damn glad this fight is over?” Jughead grinned. “‘Cause I haven’t been able to see Betty in _forever_ , and she’s staying over tonight.” 

“Does _everyone_ have dates tonight?” Toni sighed.

”Sweet Pea’s got a date?” Jughead asked, raising his eyebrows.

”Nah, no— it’s not a date. We’re just gonna hook up tonight,” he rolled his eyes. “But this is a girl I’m kinda into, so...”

”Well, it’s still a milestone, then,” Jughead grinned. “Congrats, dude.”

”Yeah, whatever...”

Jughead grinned wider, “Also, I heard Fangs is seeing a mystery man tonight. This is a good night for our Serpents.”

And suddenly, Toni felt like crap. The other Serpents were all making time for people tonight, yet she had pushed Cheryl away. She could feel Sweet Pea looking at her intensely, probably trying to tell her with his eyes that she should see Cheryl tonight.

”I’m gonna get rolling. I’ll see you guys later,” Toni said before hopping on to her bike.

The roar of the bike soon took over and she drove off to her uncle’s trailer. 

When she got to his trailer, she hopped of her bike. God, her feet were aching. She just wanted to go inside and sleep already. She didn’t even know how the other guys had the energy to have dates after the fight because she just wanted to collapse on the bed.

She stepped inside of the trailer, shedding her leather Serpent jacket on the flimsy brown couch. Just then, she noticed a light on in one of the other rooms. She swallowed hard. _Fuck_.

She picked her jacket back up from the couch, putting it on again. She had a feeling that she wouldn’t be staying here tonight. 

Her uncle emerged from the other room after hearing the noises of her entering the trailer. He had a beer bottle in hand and looked damn furious. She was already backing toward the trailer’s door when she saw him.

”What the fuck are you doing here?” he demanded. “ _Huh_?”

”I— just...” she paused. She didn’t even know what to say.

He chuckled bitterly, “It felt like somebody’s been staying here when I got back. Guess you thought that you could take my shit since I was in Toledo, right?”

”I needed somewhere to sleep—“ she started.

”And I don’t care,” he hissed. “This isn’t your fuckin’ place, sweetheart. I gotta lock the door again from now on. And I better not see you lurkin’ around my place anymore.”

He placed his beer bottle on a table before approaching her slowly. Toni’s back was pressed against the door. Now, all she wanted to do was get out of here without getting her ass beaten by him.

”You’re an ungrateful bitch,” he gritted his teeth. “Stop taking what’s mine. Next time, I’ll multiply those bruises on your face with my fist. Get the hell out.”

She obviously wasn’t planning to stay to fight him. She had no energy to do so, especially after the Serpent fight, and especially when he was drunk. She opened the door, sliding outside. She heard a popping sound from the lock, indicating her uncle had locked the door. 

She sighed. She just needed a place to sleep tonight, but of course her uncle came back from Toledo early. She usually couch surfed at Jughead, Fangs, or Sweet Pea’s, but after all of them were revealed to have romantic plans for the night, there was no way that she was going to get in the way by being a squatter at their trailers.

And besides, there was somewhere that Toni had felt she needed to go since the fight ended. Especially if she wanted to be all in, that was.

She hopped back on her bike, gearing it up and driving off to the North Side.

Parking outside of the luxurious Thistlehouse, Toni hopped off of her bike again. Slowly, she walked toward the fancy doors, balling her right hand into a fist before knocking on the front door.

After about a minute, the door swung open, revealing the redhead dressed in a silk red robe. Toni was chewing her lip as she looked at the other girl. There was no going back now— she would have to bring Cheryl into her world.

”Toni?” Cheryl was clinging tightly to her robe as she stared at the other girl. “Oh my God— are you okay? What happened to your face?”

The redhead’s eyes were fixed on the purple marks on her face. 

Toni shook her head, “Serpent fight, but... that’s not the point. I, um... I need a place to stay tonight...”

Without asking another question, Cheryl opened the door wider.

”Whenever you need, you can stay here.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for everyone’s continued support of this story! I love writing it. I’m sorry about the time it took me to upload the last chapter— these days are quite busy for me. However, I hope that you enjoyed it and that you will enjoy this chapter, too! Thank you!

The Serpent stood there dryly, the feeling of being an intruder sweeping through her. Obviously, she had been here before on numerous occasions, but this time, she was  _staying_ here, at least for the night. The overt luxuriousness of the place usually caught her attention, but now it was making her feel unwanted. This time, it was glaring at her, telling her that she was from the South Side and didn’t belong with luxuries like this.

But Cheryl, on the other hand, was doing everything in her power to make the other girl feel welcome in her home as an overnight guest— starting with making her tea.

”You don’t have to do all of this, Bombshell,” Toni assured her, setting the tea down. “I appreciate it— I really do— but I’m exhausted and you don’t need to do this stuff for me.”

Cheryl wasn’t one to give up so easily, though. She wouldn’t budge. 

“Did you bring your stuff with you?” the redhead asked. Noting the empty-handedness of the Serpent, Cheryl didn’t even know why she bothered asking. “Sorry. You’re not sleeping in that. I won’t have it. Let me get you some spare pajamas.”

In a flash, the redhead returned with black silk shorts and a Riverdale High School t-shirt. Toni couldn’t deny that comfortable clothing seemed very appealing right now.

”Thanks,” she smiled, “for everything.”

”Always. I’ll leave you to change.”

Once Cheryl left the bedroom, Toni shedded all of her clothes, slipping into the shorts and t-shirt that the other girl had kindly offered her. They certainly were comfortable.

”You can come in now!”

Toni was sitting on the bed, giving in and sipping the tea. 

“Hi,” Cheryl said cautiously before sitting down next to her. 

There was something in Toni’s eyes that was different tonight. She looked lost— almost vulnerable. When Cheryl saw her outside of Thistlehouse, she was afraid that Toni was on the verge of tears; she honestly thought that the other girl was going to start crying.

The tables seemed to have turned because it was usually Cheryl who was so vulnerable. Cheryl just wanted to do whatever she could to comfort her and offer her the same support she always gave. Maybe, for once, she would get to take care of Toni.

“T.T., what happened tonight?” Cheryl asked, sitting down next to the Serpent. She eyed the bruises on the girl’s face, then looked down at her arms and legs, which now exposed more bruises and scratches that were previously hidden by her long clothes. “You look like you got attacked pretty badly.”

Toni sighed, “It’s normal... Serpent stuff. That’s how things work.”

Cheryl raised her eyebrows, “So, you get into fights often?”

“I mean, it’s not just me, it’s the Serpents, but yeah—“

”I figured,” Cheryl said, leaning forward. She touched one of the bruises on Toni’s arm, brushing it gently with caution. “Do you need ice or anything?”

”No, it’ll be fine,” she shrugged her shoulders. “You don’t have to worry about me, Bombshell. I’ve been doing this Serpent thing for a long time.”

Still, the worried expression remained on Cheryl’s face. There was a hunger inside of her for more— she wanted to know more. She was hungrily curious about Toni and her Serpent life, and Toni certainly wasn’t offering her much to satisfy the hunger. She was left with vague details. 

“I trust you, Toni,” Cheryl told her. “I mean, I _have_ trusted you with some of the most personal things in my life, so... I just want you to know that you can trust me, too— you can tell me anything.”

All in. Toni wanted to be all in with the redhead and that meant showing her every part of her life.

”It really was a Serpent fight, I swear. Fights like this are common. It’s a gang, after all,” Toni reminded her. “Part of being a Serpent is getting bruised up every now and then.”

Toni looked up at her, searching her eyes for judgment or discomfort because of all this talk about being a Serpent— but instead, she only found worry. Cheryl looked so worried for her. Her hand was rubbing up and down Toni’s arm, over her purple bruise so gently. 

The Serpent paused for a moment, pressing her lips together. She simply studied the redhead in front of her. God, even in these late hours when she was bare-faced and ready for bed, she looked flawless. Toni had to recompose her brain to get it to stop admiring how beautiful she looked right now— as always.

”Can I be honest with you?” Toni asked. “About something else?”

”Of course.”

Toni didn’t know if she would regret telling Cheryl _everything_ that had been going on in the past few days, but she wasn’t going to stop now. She was just going for it.

”I’ve been blowing you off a bit recently,” she admitted nervously. She knew that a girl like Cheryl probably didn’t like being ghosted, so it would be a hard pill to swallow. 

“Yeah, T.T., I’ve noticed,” she said, chuckling somewhat sadly. “Can I ask _why_?”

”I’m not scared of a lot of things,” the Serpent defended herself, “...but I’ve been scared about... I don’t know— getting close to you? Or, maybe you quitting on me when you learn about how I live on the South Side and how I am as a Serpent.”

There was a sadness in Cheryl’s eyes. She moved her hand down, collecting Toni’s hand in hers, giving it a light squeeze.

”Well, I don’t blame you,” Cheryl said. “I’m the one who made it clear how disgusted I was with Serpents on numerous occasions, but I’ll have you know that I am painfully aware that I was _so_ wrong about everything. I didn’t even know what I was talking about. That was just my elitism bringing out the worst in me.”

Toni just stared at her. She was hearing the words that Cheryl was saying— it was surprising, to say the least. She wanted to buy into every word of it, and to some extent she did, but part of her was wondering if Cheryl was just saying all of this because she _wanted_ to be accepting, not because she actually accepted everything. After all, Cheryl hadn’t even witnessed the worst of the South Side or Serpent life yet.

”T.T.,” Cheryl said gently, reading the disbelief on Toni’s face. “I want to know everything, okay? I want to know you— _all_ of you.”

Toni's eyes shifted to the floor, fixed on the dark brown hardwood floors below her. She was noticeably hesitant to start talking, but her lips slowly began parting, indicating to Cheryl that she was caving. 

“Do you remember that night we were eating take-out in your car after the drive-in movie at Pop’s and you offered to drop me home?” Toni suddenly asked, her eyes moving back to Cheryl.

”Um... yeah,” Cheryl nodded her head slowly, unsure of where the other girl was going with this.

”Well, I told you that I didn’t want you to drop me home,” Toni continued. “...and the reason I said that was because I didn’t want you to see that I don’t exactly... _have_ a home.”

Chery’s lips parted, surprised. She always had assumed that Toni had _somewhere_ to stay, even if it was a dinky and gross little place on the South Side of town. But _nowhere_?

” _What_?” she blurted. “Toni, I had no idea! Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

Toni chuckled bitterly, “Seriously? You’re asking me why I didn’t tell you? Maybe it’s because I didn’t want the girl I like to know that I don’t have a home.”

A shade of red flew to Cheryl’s cheeks. Yes, this happened to be a very serious time where Toni was telling her personal information about her home life, or rather a lack of one, but the redhead couldn’t help but blush after being called the girl that Toni liked— even though she was already aware of the fact that Toni was into her. It was still pleasing to hear.

”T.T., that’s not your fault,” Cheryl shook her head. “Please don’t ever be embarrassed to tell me things like this. I want to be there for you just like you’ve constantly been there for me, okay?” 

Toni was aware that Cheryl wasn’t the cold bitch that everyone made her out to be at school, but it still made her heart flutter to see the true colors of someone who had such a hard, closely-protected exterior. Cheryl was really something else— something wonderful. Toni fell deeper and harder for her every time that they interacted. 

“Where do you sleep, then?” Cheryl asked curiously.

Toni scratched her head, “Uh, I usually surf couches on the South Side. Jughead, Sweet Pea, or Fangs usually are willing to offer me a couch to sleep on in their trailers. But I hate burdening them— and tonight, they were all seeing people after the fight, so I didn’t want to bother them. Recently, I’ve been sleeping in my uncle’s trailer because he was in Toledo, but... he ended up coming home early. And he was drunk as hell, so he was screaming at me and told me to get out. Although, he sometimes does that when he’s sober, too...”

Cheryl had a rough home life in terms of her familial relationships, but she couldn’t even compare it to what Toni went through on a daily basis. At least she had a nice, warm home and a big bed to sleep on every night. Toni had nothing— not even a place to stay. Cheryl hated that thought.

”Why won’t your uncle let you stay in his trailer?” Cheryl asked, confused.

Toni shrugged her shoulders, “Yeah, I thought family should help one another out, but... he’s crazy, to say the least. He usually locks me out of the trailer. He always tells me to ‘make my own damn money,’ so there’s that...”

Cheryl saw the fragility of the other girl in her brown eyes. She was actually vulnerable tonight— Cheryl had never really seen her like this. Usually, she saw Toni as tough as nails. The Serpent was always laid back, cool— calm and collected. Cheryl felt like she was overreacting all the time because Toni was always so calm about everything. She rarely ever lost her cool or showed any sign of major weakness. She was always put together so perfectly. She was always the opposite of vulnerable, but tonight she _was_ vulnerable.

The redhead brought her hands to the Serpent’s cheeks, cupping them gently. She traced the lines of Toni’s jawline so softly, so carefully... 

“I don’t want you to ever have to do that again,” Cheryl shook her head. “It’s not right. It’s not fair. I can buy you a trailer on the South Side—“

”Cheryl, _no_ ,” Toni shook her head. “I appreciate you saying that, but I don’t want you to do that for me.”

“Fine, then you stay here.”

Toni almost jumped back.

”What?”

”You heard me, T.T. You should come live with me instead. I’m sure it beats cramming on to Jughead’s couch every night,” Cheryl said.

”You want us to _live together_?” Toni asked. “Isn’t that moving a bit fast?”

Cheryl shrugged her shoulders, “It isn’t some big relationship decision. It’s simply because you don’t have a place to stay, and I don’t want you out there alone with nowhere to go. I’m not letting this continue. I want you here with me.”

Toni was silent. She had never had a real home, but suddenly she was going to trade the nothing she had for a big mansion and an endless breakfast buffet? It felt... wrong.

”Look, at least think about it. It can be a temporary situation until you find a permanent place to stay,” Cheryl told her, dropping her hands from the other girl’s cheeks. “I’m working on getting emancipated with Sierra McCoy’s help. And my mother isn’t living here anymore. I sent her elsewhere while I work on my emancipation. It would just be us here.”

Toni now mirrored the redhead’s previous action, cupping her cheeks. She gazed into her big eyes, her eyes momentarily flickering to her plump lips before coming back up to her eyes.

“You have a heart of gold, Bombshell,” Toni breathily spoke, tucking a strand of red hair behind the other girl’s ear. “And I’m so freaking crazy about you.” 

Cheryl felt dizzy now, like an alchohol-induced sensation, but it wasn’t from alcohol. It was from the fact that her heart was fucking fluttering all over the place and all she wanted to do now was lean down and kiss the shorter girl sitting next to her on this very bed. She didn’t even need to reciprocate the statement— she was pretty sure that it was crystal clear that she was crazy about Toni, too.

Toni had been exhausted after coming from the fight and her uncle’s trailer. All she wanted to do then was find something to sleep on. But being with Cheryl was electrifying; she had gotten all of her energy back. Suddenly, she was so ready to do anything. Honestly, she could do another Serpent fight right now with the energy that Cheryl gave her. She could run a damn marathon from it, if she wanted to.

But she would much rather kiss the redhead sitting next to her.

The Serpent had one hand on Cheryl’s cheek and moved the other to the back of her neck. She tugged her head down closer so that she could reach her mouth with her own. Cheryl was leaning in as well, and it was only a matter of seconds before their lips touched, the electrifying sensation intensifying. Toni pushed further in, their mouths moving together perfectly in sync. Both of them opened their mouths, starving for more of each other. Toni moved both of her hands down to Cheryl’s shoulders, pushing her down on to the bed. Toni was hovering on top of her, her lips still pressed against the redhead’s. She closed the space between their bodies by laying down flat on top of the other girl. 

Cheryl placed her hands firmly on Toni’s waist, but dragged them up so that she could cup the Serpent’s cheeks. Their kissing kept going and going, a heat moving between their mouths. Toni let her tongue move into Cheryl’s mouth, dragging it against her bottom lip before pushing it inside completely. Their lips melted together, a fusion that tasted better than either girl could have imagined.

Both girls had been thinking about this moment for a long time. It certainly was inevitable, wasn’t it? They didn’t need the fuel of alcohol to do this. The spark between them was enough to make it work.

Their lips finally broke apart when Toni pulled back, her head hanging slightly above Cheryl’s. Her eyes were looking straight down at the redhead beneath her.

”Do you wanna... do this?” Toni asked in a whisper, although she was aware that no one would hear them.

”I’ve _wanted_ to do this for so long,” Cheryl assured her. “And this time, I want to remember all of it.”

That was enough for Toni. She pulled Cheryl up so that they could start kissing again, now with Cheryl sitting up. Cheryl straddled Toni, her legs parted at Toni’s hips. Toni pressed her lips on the bottom of Cheryl’s face, trailing kisses down her jawline, slowly moving to her neck. Once she made it to her neck, she just kept kissing there. Cheryl shut her eyes, enjoying the sensation of it. But she soon wanted more— she gripped the insides of Toni’s black, leather Serpent jacket, moving her hands up until they were at the shoulders. She pushed Toni’s jacket off of her shoulders, letting it drop on to the bed. 

Toni pulled back, analyzing the girl in front of her. The longer she stared at her, the more beautiful she got and Toni could barely fucking control herself around this girl. She was so damn magnificent— how did anyone so perfect exist? More importantly, how the hell did she get this lucky?

She reached down, touching the tie of Cheryl's silky robe. Swallowing hard, Toni tugged at it, undoing the die, loosening the robe around Cheryl's body. The redhead shrugged the robe off until it fell at her waist. Toni was going dizzy at the newly exposed sight of Cheryl. God, she was just wearing black panties under that thing, leaving her breasts entirely exposed. Toni found herself speechless and breathless, almost paralyzed for a few moments. She just sat there with Cheryl straddling her hips, staring at her bare breasts. 

"You're fucking  _gorgeous_ , Bombshell."

Cheryl smirked, "As are you, T.T."

Suddenly, Toni lost all control. There was no more hesitation as Toni leaned down and took one of Cheryl's breasts into her mouth, cupping the other with her hand. She massaged a breast with her hand while sucking on the other one, working her tongue around her perfect pink nipple.  _Fuck_. Toni could barely believe this was happening, but she was so damn glad that she would be able to remember all of this tomorrow, unlike the first time.

She then switched sides, sucking on Cheryl’s left breast instead while massaging her right one. Cheryl tilted her head back, eyes shut, with pleasure running through her body. A tiny moan escaped her mouth, filling Toni’s ears with the satisfaction of knowing that she was doing things right. While her mouth continued to work on the left breast, she used her spare hand to push the silk robe off of Cheryl completely, tossing it on to the floor. Perhaps Cheryl normally would have cared that her precious silk robe was being disrespected, by right now, that was the last thing on her mind. Instead, she was gripping on to Toni’s hair, her head remaining tilted back. 

Finally, Toni pulled back from Cheryl’s breasts. Although they were a wonder that she could never get tired of, she knew she couldn’t spend forever on them. She pulled her own tank top over her head, discarding it on to the floor. With more skin on Toni exposed, Cheryl became a lot more eager. She wanted more skin to be revealed— she wanted the rest of Toni’s clothes off as soon as possible. She unstraddled Toni, pushing herself back toward the head of the bed, resting her own head on the wall. Toni scooter closer, following her lead and joining her. Cheryl placed a hand on the Serpent’s back, running it upward until it found the clasp of Toni’s black bra. Skillfully, Cheryl unclasped it, letting it fall on to the Serpent’s lap. Toni tossed it on the floor, proudly revealing her perky breasts to the redhead sitting in front of her. Cheryl swallowed hard— it was a fucking good sight. She surged forward, taking a breast in each hand, analyzing the other girl’s dark nipples. Her breasts were damn perfect.

She only was briefly able to have her way with Toni’s breasts, squeezing as she pleased. Soon enough, Toni took control again, getting on top of Cheryl, pressing their lips together again for a short kiss. Then, Toni was quick to kick off her black ripped jeans, leaving both of the girls in only their panties. Toni hooked a finger around the waistline of Cheryl’s panties, dragging them down her lengthy, creamy legs. After throwing her panties off the bed, Toni removed her own. And once that was over, Toni was craving to touch those long legs again. God, they were so smooth and shiny; they were freshly shaven and Toni just had to run her hands down Cheryl’s legs once more. 

However, she had been so caught up with Cheryl’s legs that she had almost forgotten that she had a fully undressed Goddess in front of her— but she quickly resolved that issue.

Toni gripped each of Cheryl’s thighs, parting her legs. She couldn’t help but chew on her lip when she saw Cheryl’s center. She glanced up into the redhead’s eyes, seeing a look of fiery desire in them. Both of them wanted this so badly— it was clear.

Cheryl had her feet planted flat on the mattress, her knees bent, her legs parted, giving Toni easy access. Her head now rested on the soft pillow. 

Toni ducked forward, leaning in so that she was close to Cheryl’s entrance. She pushed her tongue out against the surface, taking the first taste of her, feeling the hot wetness of Cheryl’s core— she could tell how badly Cheryl wanted this even more, this time with physical evidence. Cheryl rested her hand on Toni’s head, pushing her down. Toni kept moving her tongue against Cheryl’s clit in all the right ways, winning a variety of moans and sounds from the redhead, indicating nothing but pleasure.

” _Toni_ ,” she breathed out. “Fuck, yes.”

Toni smiled a bit, but tried to stay serious and keep doing what she was doing. This was fucking perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...aaand this is the chapter you’ve all been waiting for, right? What’s better than steamy stuff?


	9. Chapter 9

Normally, for Cheryl, mornings consisted of burningly tired eyes, an aching body, and no desire to wake up. But this morning was different— Cheryl had eagerly opened her eyes. The excitement inside of her body only increased when she was assured that last night was  _not_ a dream— it really happened. The pink-haired beauty was fast asleep next to her, turned on her side, completely unclothed. The blanket was covering her bottom half, but her top half was left exposed. Since she was on her side, Cheryl got a good look at her back and its perfect curvature. She noticed the Serpent tattoo on the girl’s back, which rested close to her lower back. The redhead scooter closer to the Serpent, reaching her hand to trace the ink on her back so gently. 

No matter how hard she tried, Cheryl couldn’t get rid of the huge smile on her face. She turned her body, snuggling the girl sleeping next to her, burying her face into the other girl’s back, pressing her face against it. She wrapped her arms around Toni. For once, Cheryl loved waking up.

Suddenly, Toni began shifting in her sleep, turning her body so that she was resting on her back. Cheryl readjusted so that her head was resting on Toni’s side. She draped an arm over the Serpent’s body, hugging her closely. There was something so welcoming and warm about being so close to her. 

“So, it wasn’t a dream? I’m really here?”

Cheryl laughed when she heard the Serpent’s voice. She lifted her head, bringing it so that she could place a chaste good morning kiss on Toni’s lips. Toni placed her hands on Cheryl’s back, rubbing up and down, pulling the redhead on top of her.

”It still feels like a dream to me,” Cheryl commented, now placing kisses on Toni’s collarbone.

Toni placed a hand on Cheryl’s chin, tilting her head up so that their lips could meet for another kiss— only this time, it wasn’t so chaste. Their mouths started melding together, soft lips continuously pressing together. Toni’s hands moved from the redhead’s chin to her neck, holding her firmly so their mouths could keep working together.

But suddenly, while they were kissing, Cheryl felt and heard the grumbling stomach of the girl beneath her. She pulled her lips away from the Serpent, raising her eyebrows.

”Sounds like someone’s hungry?” 

Toni clearly wanted to brush it off.

”I’m fine, Bombshell,” she rolled her eyes, trying to kiss the redhead again, only to be rejected. “Breakfast can wait.”

”No, it _cannot_ ,” Cheryl shook her head, sitting up. She was sitting on Toni’s center; the Serpent placed her hands on Cheryl’s hips to keep her in place. “After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Did you even eat anything last night after your... Serpent fight?”

Toni shrugged, “Everything was just so rushed—“

”So, you didn’t,” the redhead concluded for her.

”Okay, no. But I did have that tea you made me—“

”That was nothing,” Cheryl rolled her eyes. “We can finish this some other time. Right now, I’m making you breakfast and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Toni scoffed, “You really think that’s a punishment? I’ve got a girlfriend who cooks for me? I’m content, Bombshell.”

Cheryl lost all of her concentration on breakfast. Immediately, her lips pressed together. She stared at the Serpent beneath her with wide eyes. Toni may have just used the g-word and it was kind of, totally a big deal to Cheryl. 

“Did you just call me your girlfriend?” 

Toni became more hesitant now. Honestly, she wasn’t thinking too much when she said it— her tongue may have slipped and she may have said way too much. Perhaps she should have thought more about it. She and Cheryl hadn’t even discussed that yet.

”Fuck, I’m sorry,” Toni sighed. “I’m cool with it if you’re not into the girlfriend thing... I don’t even know why I said it when we haven’t talked about that—“

Cheryl shook her head, “No, I’m... happy you did. I guess we can avoid the whole awkward talk, then?” 

Toni grinned, pulling Cheryl in for one last kiss before the redhead got off, redressing and heading out the bedroom door to make breakfast.

* * *

Although there was no formal agreement where Toni decided to move into Thistlehouse, it had become regular since the night she stayed over. With no other place to go, Toni found it much easier to stay with her girlfriend. And clearly, Cheryl had no problem with it. In fact, she was enjoying it. It gave them an opportunity to spend more time together, especially when they weren’t exactly public with their relationship and when Toni was busy with her Serpent stuff a lot. At the end of the day, she made it back to the same bed.

”You must be getting laid, like, every night if you’re staying with your girl,” Sweet Pea scoffed.

Toni rolled her eyes, “No comment. But it’s nice to have a real place to stay.”

”C’mon, you’re always welcome on my couch,” Sweet Pea told her. “My place is your place.”

”Not when things are getting serious with Alexis,” she smirked. “I’m not intruding on that.”

”Topaz, we aren’t dating,” he rolled his eyes. “We’re simply... enjoying each other.”

Toni was staring at him with disgust in her eyes. He glared at her.

”Fuck you,” he took a sip of his drink. “Don’t act like you’re not enjoying yourself with Cheryl Blossom. That princess is probably getting a good taste of you nightly.”

Toni blushed, “Um, actually... no. But I’m getting a good taste of her.”

Sweet Pea arched his eyebrows, pondering what she had just said. When the realization struck him, his eyes went wide, and he started chuckling wildly as he stared at Toni.

”Oh, fuck!” he exclaimed. “I should’ve guessed it straight away. She’s a princess, alright. She’s a fuckin’ pillow princess. That’s so unsurprising. Just look at her— she _looks_ like a pillow princess. Damn.”

While Sweet Pea was laughing his ass of, Toni just glared at him. Sure, she was the one who shared that information, but she was expecting something less... annoying from him. But he was Sweet Pea, after all. She should have known that he was going to think that this was hilarious.

”Shut up,” she kept glaring. “It’s not funny. Give her a break. I’m the first girl she’s ever been with, okay? Maybe she’s scared about doing it. It’s a lot easier to be on the receiving end.”

Sweet Pea grinned, “Well, I’ll have you know that Alexis is _not_ a pillow princess. She makes sure to not only receive, but to also give.”

Toni rolled her eyes, “Whatever. I don’t mind, anyway. It’s enticing enough to give. I’m okay if she’s not ready to do it herself.”

* * *

Cheryl was laying on her bed, flipping mindlessly through TV channels alone. Toni had just left the room to take a call about “Serpent matters.” Of course, Cheryl was thrilled that she and Toni had made things official and had a good thing going on between them— things were going smoothly and wonderfully, it was just two people who cared really deeply about one another making each other happy— but that didn’t mean that Cheryl enjoyed sharing her new girlfriend with the Serpents. But the Serpents were her “family” and all that, so Cheryl didn’t have much room to complain.

”Sorry about that,” Toni said, coming back into the bedroom. She set her phone down on the nightstand before leaning in to peck the redhead’s lips.

”Who was it?” Cheryl asked, way too curiously.

Toni shrugged, “It was just Jughead. He had some Serpent stuff to tell me.”

Cheryl frowned, “You don’t have to leave now, right?”

The Serpent shook her head, “No, I’m all yours tonight. We’re handling the situation tomorrow.”

Oh, how the redhead hated the claim that they’d be “handling the situation.” The last thing she wanted was for Toni to return to Thistlehouse tomorrow all bruised up and broken like she did the other night because of a Serpent fight.

But she kept her mouth quiet as Toni climbed back on the bed, laying down next to her. Cheryl rested her head on Toni’s chest, holding both of her hands as she remained there peacefully. The TV noises were just playing in the background; the two girls were laying together in peace.

”You should take me to the South Side some time,” Cheryl suddenly suggested.

Toni’s eyes shot open, but she just chuckled.

”Uh, I don’t think you’d like it very much, you know.”

Cheryl arched her eyebrows, “I’m sure it’s no resort, but... I’m not worried about that. It’s a part of you and that’s what matters to me— that’s why I’d like it.”

Toni looked down at the girl resting on her chest, smiling warmly. She recalled what Sweet Pea had told her a while before she and Cheryl even became official— he had told her to bring Cheryl into their world by bringing her to the Whyte Wyrm. And Toni was starting to ease up about the idea of Cheryl exploring the South Side, even if it was still a bit frightening. She was thinking that she would bring her down to the Whyte Wyrm some time as a first step into the water— she could meet some of the Serpents, maybe.

“If you’re really serious about this, I’ll take you. There’s this little place called the Whyte Wyrm that a lot of South Siders hang around, including the Serpents. I get drinks there all the time,” Toni told her.

And Cheryl, of course,  _was_ serious. That very night, she managed to convince Toni that they should go to the Whyte Wyrm. 

Toni was ready to go quickly. She just threw her Serpent jacket over the minimalist outfit that she was wearing. She didn't consider wearing anything fancier because these were her Serpent friends who she had known forever, so impressing them wasn't really a necessity. After all, most of them had seen her at her worst with no make-up after a whole lot of beatings from a fight. But Cheryl, on the other hand, was taking her time getting ready.

As Toni waited downstairs, she sat calmly, not impatient about how long her girlfriend took to get ready. She had quickly learned that Cheryl spent a _long_ time getting ready to go out, whether it was school or a party. But Toni didn't mind; it was one of those things that made Cheryl so...  _Cheryl_.

And although their official relationship was fairly new, Toni was pleased with how well things were working between them. Their personalities worked together in an unusually perfect way and Toni could never get enough when they were spending time together. Whenever they were together, Toni never wanted the moment to end. And maybe that bliss would end as their relationship aged, but for now, it was more perfect than Toni ever could have imagined. She was really, really happy with Cheryl.

Her head jerked up as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. 

Cheryl was finally ready, but wasn't dressed as usual. Instead, she was sporting a much darker look— ripped black jeans and a tight, low-cut, long-sleeved black crop top. Undeniably, Toni found it extremely hot, but she was still startled.

"How do I look?" the redhead questioned when she made it to the end of the staircase.

"Well, gorgeous, as always, but..." Toni tilted her head, crooked smile appearing as she took slow steps toward Cheryl. "It's a bit different than your usual style, hmm?"

Cheryl shrugged, smile still on her face.

"We're going to the Serpents' hang-out spot," Cheryl reminded her. "I thought I'd try to blend in a bit more."

Toni took her hand, squeezing it.

"And I appreciate that, Bombshell, but you don't have to do that, okay?" Toni reminded her. "You look great, but when we're there, you don't have to pretend to be someone you're not. You don't have to act more Serpent-y to get my friends' approval, if that's what you're going for. I like you just the way you are, and I want them to know  _that_ Cheryl." 

Cheryl couldn't help but smile like a dork. 

"You know, I thought you'd be more badass, but you're a total sap," she teased.

Toni rolled her eyes. "I'm serious, though. This is the first time we're going out, like...  _together_ and you're gonna be meeting some of my really good friends who are practically family to me, so I get that you might be nervous—"

Cheryl cut her off, "I think  _you're_ nervous, T.T. I'm fine." 

Toni pressed her lips together. It was true. She may have been projecting a little bit there— it was just a big deal in a way. It was the closest thing Toni had to introducing her to the family because the Serpents  _were_ her family. She wondered if she was rushing this experience; after all, they had just started dating recently and "meeting the family" usually didn't happen so early on in a relationship. 

But there they were, and they weren't turning back now. 

"I'll try not to embarrass you in front of your little Serpent friends, I promise," Cheryl smiled, pressing a kiss to Toni's cheek. "But I also have to say that I'm really happy that this is happening— that you're letting me meet these people. I know how important they are to you." 

Toni nodded her head, relaxing slightly. She could trust Cheryl. Maybe a rich North Side girl didn't seem like the type of person her Serpent friends would be expecting her to date, but that was the way it was. And all in all, she was sure that  _many_ jaws would be dropping when they saw what a drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend she had. That was always a plus.

* * *

Still nervous, Toni pushed the doors of the Whyte Wyrm open, with Cheryl following close behind her. She held the door for her girlfriend before stepping inside, where everyone was scattered around, playing pool and grabbing drinks. She spotted a corner where Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Jughead were sitting, all with beer bottles in their hands. She swallowed hard before leading the redhead over to her friends.

"Hey, guys," she said, offering them a smile. Their heads turned. Both Fangs and Jughead were surprised to see the redhead there, but Sweet Pea was neutral (unsurprisingly). 

"Uh, hey there," Jughead blinked several times, wondering if he was imagining the presence of  _the_ Cheryl Marjorie Blossom standing in the Whyte Wyrm, AKA a bar on the South Side. The only North Sider they really got around here was Betty, and she only came for him. 

"You guys, um... probably know Cheryl, right?" she chuckled nervously. "Cher, this is Fangs, Sweet Pea, and... you know Jughead." 

"Right," Jughead nodded, eyeing the redhead even closer. "So, what brings  _you_ here?"

Cheryl almost jumped back from the judgment in Jughead's voice. She knew he probably felt cold toward her, but she didn't expect some of that coldness to come out in front of her when she was with Toni. 

"She's here... with me," Toni announced, taking the redhead's hand. 

And Jughead had a feeling when he saw them together, but it didn't fail to stun him anyway. He shifted in his seat, swallowing as he stared at their hands locked. He knew that Toni was into girls, too, but he didn't expect that from  _Cheryl_. To him, she always seemed as straight as could be; she had even shown interest in Archie Andrews before. 

"You guys are, like,  _together_?" Jughead asked.

"Uh, I think it's pretty clear what Topaz meant, man," Fangs nudged him.

"Yeah, wake the hell up, Jug," Sweet Pea rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you're drunk already, dude. You've barely had two beers." 

"No, I’m not. I just— I don’t know,” he shrugged his shoulders, unsure of what to say. There was no way he could justify himself or explain what he was feeling. He was disappointed in Toni... just a little bit. He thought that she could do so much better than Cheryl Blossom, who was known to treat people poorly. She was supposed to be Riverdale High’s stereotypical “mean girl,” after all.

”Well, I’m happy for you, Topaz,” Sweet Pea grinned. Fangs was also smiling, seeming genuinely happy for them. Sweet Pea stared Cheryl down. “You have good taste.”

Toni shot her friend a glare, seeing the way he was eyeing her girlfriend.

”Watch it, Sweets. You should be worrying about Alexis,” she warned.

”Who’s Alexis?” Cheryl asked cheerfully, trying to make conversation.

”His _girlfriend_ ,” Toni teased, laughing at the way Sweet Pea’s face turned sour when he heard the term.

”No, that’s not how it is,” he shook his head. “We’re just having fun, that’s all.” 

“He totally likes her,” Toni teased, smiling at her girlfriend.

”Yeah, I’m getting that vibe, too,” Cheryl played along with the teasing.

Sweet Pea shook his head, chuckling. The two girls took a seat next to the boys at the bar. Toni shed her Serpent jacket, draping it over her chair.

”Do you want something to drink? I can drive back, if you want,” Toni offered, putting her hand on the redhead’s shoulder.

Cheryl pondered it before replying, “Just one or two. I’m not planning on going overboard tonight.”

Toni nodded her head, but a small smile appeared on her face.

”It _would_ be fun to watch you drunk while I’m completely sober.”

Cheryl rolled her eyes playfully before teasing back along, “I think it’d be more fun if we recreated the night we first met— how both of us were drunk.”

Toni smirked, “Don’t think we’re in exactly the right setting, Bombshell.”

”Well, maybe we can make some new memories here, then,” she flirted, leaning forward. 

Toni chewed on her lip, desire building up inside of her as she stared at the redhead. God, she wanted her so badly right now. Even though they were dating, that still hadn’t killed the sexual tension between them. It was still hot as hell for them to do the playful, sexy flirting.

”I don’t think we have to be drunk to make new memories,” Toni whispered, leaning into Cheryl’s neck, kissing it lightly. “In fact, there’s a bathroom back there that we could go to right now.”

Cheryl bent her head back, enjoying the sensation of Toni’s lips on her neck. When Toni finally pulled back to see what her reaction was to the proposition, all Cheryl could do was give her a lustful look, her heart beating and her lips parted, with so much desire flowing through her eyes. There was no way that she could say no right now. Not when she wanted it so badly, too. There was a wickedly seductive grin on Toni’s face, her head tilted forward as she prepared their escape. Cheryl got a clear message of all the things that Toni wanted to do to her in that bathroom.

“We’ll be right back,” Toni announced as she grabbed Cheryl and they got up.

”What? Where are you goi—“ Fangs began to ask, but the two of them had already raced off.

Sweet Pea smirked, “If I’ve gotta guess, I’d say that they’re running off for a quickie.” 

“ _Damn_ ,” Fangs commented. “But they just got here, too.”

Sweet Pea shrugged, “Well, that’s the power of a brand new relationship. They probably can’t even keep their hands off each other for thirty minutes.”

Jughead sat silently as they discussed, not feeling particularly enthusiastic about the discussion.

”How are you guys so cool about this?” Jughead asked, suddenly snapping.

Sweet Pea was startled, although he had noticed Jughead’s initial discomfort with Toni’s revelation.

”Whoa there, man— you got a problem with Topaz likin’ girls, or...?” he started.

Jughead immediately shook his head, “No, of course not! That’s not the problem. I’ve known about that for a long time. It’s just... _Cheryl Blossom_? That girl goes against the Serpents entirely. And besides, she could do better. Cheryl’s kind of a bitch sometimes.” 

Sweet Pea shrugged his shoulders, “Yeah, I was off-put about Cheryl at first, too, but man, Toni’s real happy with this girl, Jug. Just give her a break. We don’t even know her that well.”

Fangs nodded his head, “Yeah, Jug. Plus, Betty’s not exactly someone who goes with the Serpents; we just learned to love her because you love her. Maybe you’ll end up loving Cheryl, too.”

Jughead’s face dropped a bit. He took a huge swig of his beer, trying to drown out his brain a bit. His friends immediately noticed the distraught; Fangs reached out and put a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

”Dude, what’s up? Is Toni’s new girl really making you _that_ upset?” Fangs asked.

Jughead shook his head, “Nah, I just... I didn’t tell you guys that Betty and I broke up the other day.”

Both of his friends were shocked, eyes widening at the news. Jughead and Betty had broken up before, but they seemed a lot more solid this time around.

”Shit, man...” Sweet Pea muttered. “What the hell happened? I thought you guys were good.”

”We were, but— it’s stupid,” he shook his head. “And I don’t really wanna think about it or talk about it right now. I just wanna forget about it tonight, at least temporarily.”

Sweet Pea grinned, “Well, _that’s_ something I can help you with, my man. Let me get another round. Let’s make it vodka so we can get the hell out our minds _fast_.”

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Toni had led Cheryl to the girls’ bathroom at the back of the Whyte Wyrm. As soon as they pushed the door and entered, their lips collided. Toni held the back of Cheryl’s neck as their lips moved together repeatedly. They kept moving toward the sink and Cheryl, who normally would be more cautious of her surroundings, couldn’t give a damn that they were in a filthy-ass bathroom in the Whyte Wyrm. All she could think about was Toni Topaz.

Once Cheryl’s back hit the sink counter, Toni brought her hands down, lowering them more and more until they reached Cheryl’s ass. In a motion of teamwork, Cheryl was lifted on top of the sink counter, wrapping her legs around Toni’s waist. Luckily, the sink was low, making it easier for Toni to kiss the redhead.

She let her lips dive into Cheryl’s neck, kissing and sucking all around the sensitive skin. Cheryl looped her arms around Toni, pulling the Serpent closer, giving her better access to her neck. 

“We should hurry and get back before they get too suspicious,” Cheryl warned.

”Oh, I think they’re already suspicious,” Toni chuckled, kissing Cheryl’s neck again. “But we can do this high-speed if you want to.”

Before Cheryl knew it, Toni reached down, unbuttoning her black jeans and sliding them off. Cheryl suddenly wished she had worn a skirt to make this easier— jeans weren’t usually her style.

But Toni skillfully took them off, then sliding the girl’s panties off. Both Cheryl’s jeans and panties were hanging around her ankles. Toni didn’t even wait or undress before plunging two fingers into Cheryl’s wet entrance. 

Cheryl gasped at the abrupt sensation, caught off-guard by it. Of course, she was the one who had suggested that they go faster, but perhaps she wasn’t prepared for how fast it was actually going. She shut her eyes, breathing heavily as Toni moved her fingers in and out. Cheryl held on to Toni’s back firmly, fingernails digging into her back.

” _Fuck_.”

* * *

 

By the time Cheryl and Toni returned to the bar, apparently Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Jughead had already had far too much to drink. Their wobbly nature and babbling gave it away all too quickly— as well as the several shot glasses scattered across the bar counter. Toni figured that they were drunk seconds after coming back.

” _Toni Topaz_!” Sweet Pea exclaimed, his voice sounding a lot looser than before. His smile was drunk and crooked, all too happy. “And there she is— the sexy Pillow Princess!”

Toni’s eyes widened. Fuck. 

“What?” Cheryl questioned, her panic levels increasing. “T.T., what did he just say?”

”Nothing—“ Toni started.

But unfortunately for her, Sweet Pea thought it was a good idea to answer: “Don’t worry about it, princess. Topaz is a very, very giving person. I’m sure she fuckin’ loves giving it to ya good.” 

“Shut your damn mouth, Sweets,” Toni hissed, glaring at him.

Cheryl blinked several times. Her cheeks turned red. When she thought about it, she figured that he wasn’t kidding around— it was true that she hadn’t exactly done anything back to Toni. She let Toni do all the work, but she hadn’t thought much of it. Toni was always eager to do it, so she did it, and then they just stayed in each other’s arms. Toni had never _asked_ her to do it back. And frankly, Cheryl was a bit scared because obviously she had never... _given_.

”I _fucking_ miss Betty!” Jughead cried, slamming his fist on to the table. “Drinking isn’t making me forget about her— I’m thinking about her even more, dude!” 

That was Toni’s “save.” 

“What? What happened with Betty?” Toni asked, trying to ignore her visibly upset girlfriend. 

“Mmm, they broke up,” Fangs revealed. “I dunno why, but they did, and now Little Juggy’s super sad and wants to try to forget about her.”

Toni looked at Jughead sympathetically. She put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it.

”Oh God, Jug... I’m so sorry,” she said. “You’ll be okay. You’re strong.” 

“No, it won’t be okay. It’ll never be okay,” he shook his head.

Cheryl was outraged. She folded her arms as she watched her own girlfriend comfort Jughead Jones over his stupid break-up with Betty instead of addressing the issue at hand. It was infuriating, quite honestly.

And she spent the rest of her night with three drunk idiots and a shady girlfriend. It wasn’t exactly how she was expecting this night to go— she wanted it to be perfect. She wanted to have a good time with Toni and get along flawlessly with her Serpent family, but instead she was furious and embarrassed and wanted to talk about what Sweet Pea had said.

When they were _finally_ back in the car, leaving the Whyte Wyrm, Cheryl was more than ready to do her angry girlfriend strategy. She was going to get Toni to talk about this with her, even if she had to do it in a childish and immature way. Sure, she had been trying to be more mature in her relationship with Toni, but sometimes, her childish side slipped out too easily.

”Cher, you haven’t said a word to me in so long,” Toni said as she focused on the road. “Talk to me, babe.”

 Although Cheryl was internally swooning about how Toni had just called her “babe” for the first time, she had to remain with her silent, upset facial expression.

”Cheryl, if this is about what Sweet Pea said back there...” Toni stated, sighing. “He’s just saying stupid shit, okay? Don’t worry about him.”

”I’m not _worrying about him_ , T.T.!” Cheryl finally exploded. “I’m worrying about _you_. I know he wasn’t making stuff up. Did you complain to him about our sex life?” 

Toni shook her head, “No, of course not! I wasn’t complaining— I told him that I was okay with waiting until you were ready.”

”So, you _did_ talk to him about this stuff?” Cheryl asked, raising her eyebrows. “You told him about stuff that’s supposed to be between just us?”

Toni sighed, “I don’t know... I had a bit too much to drink and I exposed some personal stuff about us. But Sweet Pea is my friend, okay? We do talk about stuff like this all the time. Don’t you confide in your friends about us?”

Cheryl shook her head, “Actually, no. Although I so desperately want to flaunt it, I have refrained because this is between _us_ , T.T. In fact, I haven’t even told Veronica anything about us recently, and she’s the only person I tell this stuff to.”

Toni nodded her head.

”I understand that it was weird, and I’m sorry for saying too much to him. I promise I’ll try to keep certain things between just us,” Toni assured her. “But I do want you to know that I’m not mad that you don’t— you know. There’s no pressure. You know that, right?”

”There might be a little bit of pressure...”

Toni chuckled, “No, there’s no pressure. I’m really not annoyed about it. I’m fine with where we are, just so you know. I’m still crazy about you, Bombshell.” 

Keeping one hand on the wheel, Toni reached over and took Cheryl’s hand, lightly squeezing it. She glanced over at the redhead, smiling. Cheryl smiled back.

”I’m sorry for exploding,” she sighed. “I just— I don’t want to mess this up. It freaked me out that you might be dissatisfied with us.”

”Well, I’m _not_ ,” Toni assured her. “Never could be. I’m beyond happy. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

After just a few seconds of silence, Cheryl confessed, “Well I do... want to.”

Toni raised her eyebrows curiously, turning to look at the redhead.

”Hmm?”

”I do, but I’m new to this and you’ve obviously done it before,” Cheryl chewed her lip. “I want to make you feel good, too, T.T. I just don’t want to mess it up.”

Toni smiled sincerely, “Don’t worry. If you do want to, I promise I’ll guide you through it. I think you’ll be just fine, though. You’ve always been good at everything you do, huh?”

Cheryl laughed, “I _am_ a perfectionist, after all.”

 

* * *

 


	10. Chapter 10

“Just ease into it. You’ll be fine.”

Toni kept her legs spread apart as Cheryl leaned closer to her center, preparing herself to do this. Toni’s legs were wrapped around Cheryl’s shoulders. It certainly was unusual for the roles to be reversed, but Cheryl was determined to make her girlfriend feel just as good as she always made her feel.

Trying not to overthink it, Cheryl abruptly sped down, letting her mouth hit Toni’s hot center. Gently, she dragged her tongue against it before wiggling it in, trying to move it all around. Toni gripped the sheets, biting her lip as Cheryl’s mouth moved against her center.

” _Yes_ ,” Toni moaned. “That feels good, Cher. So, so good.” 

Cheryl tried to stop herself from smiling proudly— and proud she was, as she was seemingly doing a good job at her first jab at this daunting task. Toni brought one of her hands up to the top of Cheryl's head while the other one remained firmly gripping the sheets. Cheryl steadied herself by holding Toni's thighs while her tongue did all of the real work. The Serpent just shut her eyes, relaxing as she enjoyed the sensation. 

The redhead kept going with as Toni's breaths started becoming more rapid. The various sounds escaping her mouth combined with her intensified gripping of the sheets were all great indicators. She sped her tongue up while the other girl rode the wave out, tugging on locks of red hair.

" _Fuuck_ ," Toni hummed, her eyes finally opening as she finished out her orgasm.

Cheryl finally removed her head from between Toni's legs. She brought her head back up, sitting in a normal position, letting Toni's legs drop down off of her shoulders. Smiles emerged on both of their faces. Cheryl collapsed down next to her girlfriend, pulling her in so that she could hold her. Today, she had learned that  _giving_ was a lot harder than  _receiving_ , although it was still fun. And the reaction she got from Toni made it all worth it. She made her girl feel good and that was all that really mattered in the end.

"See? Nothing to worry about. And you'll only get better at it," Toni told her. "You were already great, though." 

"I'm glad I did that," Cheryl said.

Toni smiled before leaning up and and pecking the redhead's lips.

* * *

 

"Hey there, Jug!" Toni exclaimed, an unusual level of enthusiasm in her voice as the door of the trailer opened and she was greeted by a skeptical and confused Jughead Jones. "I come bearing fries from Pop's." 

Jughead's skepticism faded and his face softened, his lips curving into a small smile. He opened the door wider, letting Toni in. 

"So, how are you feeling?" she asked as they sat down on the couch. She placed the bag from Pop's with fries in it on the table. "I meant to check up on you earlier." 

"How do you  _think_ I feel?" he laughed bitterly. "If your answer was 'like shit,' then you're damn right." 

Toni offered him a weak smile. "I'm sorry about your break-up, Jug. I know how much Betty meant to you, but... there will be other girls, okay? It might seem like the end of the world right now, but I promise you that it isn't."

He shrugged his shoulders, "I'm coping. I've handled worse things than a break-up since I joined the Serpents, but I can't say it doesn't sting like hell that it's over between us. We were really, really happy together— well, at least I  _thought_ we were. But maybe she wasn't as happy as I thought."

"What? That's crazy," Toni shook her head. "What happened between you two, anyway?"

He stared at the floor for a moment before reaching into the bag and grabbing a fry, tossing it into his mouth. He looked over at Toni, letting out a soft sigh. He didn't want to talk about it before, but maybe the only way to truly start getting over it was to talk about it.

"She kissed Archie," he confessed. "And she told me that she was sorry for it and it didn't mean anything, but... do you know how long I spent trying to move past the whole Archie was the boy-next-door that Betty was totally in love with since she was a little kid? Well, it took a damn long time. And I was finally over it— I had finally started to think that Betty didn't have feelings for him anymore and that she was all in with me." 

Toni's jaw hung open slightly. She wasn't expecting that. Well, maybe she was in a way because she had already heard about how Betty used to have a massive crush on Archie, but she thought things had settled down and that they had went different ways. She seemed happy to be with Jughead and Archie seemed beyond happy with Veronica Lodge.

"What about Veronica?" Toni asked.

He scoffed, "She and Archie are  _fine_. I forgot to elaborate:  _Betty_ was the one who  _tried_ to kiss Archie. He didn't kiss her... he just pulled back. And I'm glad he did, but it still hurts like hell knowing that she even wanted to kiss him at all. And the worst part is that I had to find out about all of this from Archie. If it really didn't mean anything to her, then maybe she would have told me herself." 

With sympathy in her eyes, she reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder. His head was facing downward, fixed on the dirty floor of the trailer. As much as he was trying to stay tough, he was obviously not taking this break-up that well. Toni moved slightly closer, pulling him in for a comforting hug. He let go of his walls and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her back.

Once they pulled back, Jughead smiled sincerely. 

"Thanks for... being there for me, Toni," he said. "You're one of the best people I know."

"No problem," she smiled.

He popped another fry into his mouth before grinning, "Well, we don't have to be all negative forever. As my relationship came to an end, yours came to a beginning. I know we didn't have much time to talk about it the other day because I was too busy sulking over my break-up, and I have to admit— I was a bit jealous that you, Fangs, and Sweet Pea are all so happy right now with people while I'm miserable. I do have my prior judgments about Cheryl, but I guess that isn't really my place. So, I wanted to say that I'm sorry for my attitude." 

"I get it. It's no biggie, really," she shrugged. 

"How did  _that_ happen, anyway?" Jughead asked curiously. "I heard that she's super anti-Serpent."

Toni chuckled, "I guess I like a challenge. And she  _thought_ she hated Serpents, but... she's different when you get to know her; it's hard to explain to other people, but she's amazing." 

Jughead nodded his head, a hint of sadness in his eyes. 

"Probably not the right time to say this, but... after I broke up with Betty, I wondered if I made a mistake ever getting back together with her in the first place," he admitted. "'Cause, you know... I gave up my shot at being with you to be with her and maybe that wasn't the best judgment because maybe she was holding back her feelings for Archie this entire time. And maybe you and I could've been something good together." 

Toni's lips were pressed together as she stared at Jughead. She was startled by his confession and she wished he didn't say it— she was sure that it was just the pain from the break-up talking, anyway, but she didn't want her friendship with him to get complicated again.

"Jug..." she muttered, shaking her head. "You're not thinking straight. You're hurt because of what Betty did to you— I understand. But that has nothing to do with you and I. You shouldn't regret being with her just because it ended badly. You were in love with her then, not me, so... even if we kept going, you would've been holding  _your_ feelings back for Betty and you would have regretted  _that_ forever. Then our friendship wouldn't have worked out, and that would be way worse because I really, really value our friendship, Jug." 

Jughead nodded his head, "I should probably stop talking before I say even more stupid shit, but I can't lie to you, Toni, I was sort of bummed when I found out that you're with Cheryl 'cause I thought that we could find out what was between us finally." 

"Seriously, Jug— don't," she shook her head. "Let's not go there, okay? We wouldn't have worked out. You need to focus on getting over Betty before you figure out what you actually want. I'm happy to be here for you, but only as a friend."

He nodded his head again, "Yeah, I know. I just thought I'd say what was on my mind, stupid or not. I know you're happy with Cheryl, but I wanted to be honest with you. I'm happy being friends with you."

She smiled weakly, extremely relieved that the awkward tension had finally left the room once he agreed that they could just be friends. The last thing she wanted right now was to have to deal with Jughead being mad at her. And she knew it had to be Betty making him talk this way— there was no way that he had carried the flame for her all this time secretly. She figured he was devastated after his break-up and wanted to either get even with Betty or just find a rebound to take his mind off of her.

"Wanna play blackjack?" Jughead suddenly grinned.

"Hell yeah," Toni grinned back. "When's your dad getting home? He always makes it even more competitive."

Jughead chuckled, "Yeah, he didn't talk to me for a whole day when I beat him, so maybe it's best he isn't here. But I'll go get the card deck." 

* * *

"I can't believe you didn't tell me sooner that you and Toni are official!" Veronica cried, offended. She sipped her milkshake before mock-glaring at the redhead sitting across from her in their booth at Pop's. "I better get details  _now_." 

"Sorry, we've just been keeping it... down. I kind of liked that it was just between us," Cheryl smiled. "But I'll give  _you_ details. Just don't go around spreading it to people."

"Would I  _ever_? I haven't said a word about all of your other dirty little secrets with her."

Cheryl chuckled, "Well... basically, she needed a place to stay after getting into quite the brutal brawl with her Serpent group and she came over to my place... then things escalated from there. That's all I'll say." 

Clearly unsatisfied, Veronica shook her head, but laughed it off.

"Well, I'm happy for you. That's big—  _really_ big," Veronica smiled. "What's she up to now, anyway? I think it'd be  _amazing_ if she came down here right now. I want to get to know her better." 

Cheryl smiled, a feeling of appreciation running through her. Considering she didn't have many legitimate friends, it was nice that she could count on Veronica to take an interest in her life and  _actually_ care. At this point in her life, Cheryl had never felt more cared for, having both Toni and Veronica on her side. The only other person who truly cared for her was Jason, so it left a void inside of her when he died. But she was finally starting to see the light at the end of an extremely dark tunnel that began when he died.

"I'll text her and find out." 

After typing away a short text message inviting her girlfriend to Pop's, she glanced back up at Veronica for only a few seconds before her phone buzzed and Toni had texted her back. She looked back down at her phone screen to find a disappointing response.

_Toni Topaz: Can't rn, I'm with Jug. Sorry xx_

_Toni Topaz: but we were thinking we'd go to the wyrm again tonight if you wanna join?_

Slight discomfort hit her to discover that Toni was hanging out with Jughead right now, but she forcibly tried to ignore the panic. Her childish side had already come out the other night when she gave Toni the silent treatment for her discussion with Sweet Pea. She knew that if she really wanted this relationship to work, she would have to at least  _try_ to be mature. And although she was a naturally jealous person, she would have to ignore the jealousy threatening to come out.

"She can't right now, she's with Jughead," Cheryl informed the other girl. "But she invited me to the Whyte Wyrm tonight— it's this bar on the South Side." 

" _Wow_... Who would've ever thought that  _Cheryl Blossom_ would willingly be hanging out on the South Side?" Veronica teased.

Cheryl rolled her eyes, "People can change." 

Veronica's face hardened a bit as she replayed what Cheryl had just said.

"Wait, did you say that she's with Jughead?" Veronica asked too eagerly. 

The redhead nodded her head, not thinking much of it initially. Then, she took a longer look at Veronica's face, easily detecting the somewhat worried expression that she was trying to mask. But Cheryl could tell that something was off.

"Why are you making that face?" Cheryl inquired. "Is there a problem with that?" 

Veronica hesitated for a moment before saying, "Look, I don't want to worry you or anything, but I've been caught in the middle of a lot of friend drama— I guess that's what happens when you date your friends, but... the truth is that Betty and Jughead just broke up, and I don't know if that means anything to you or to her, but I just thought that you should know."

And Cheryl did find that information unsettling. She had heard it the other night at the Whyte Wyrm from Fangs, but she had almost forgotten about it because she was too consumed with her "fight" with Toni at that point. But one thing that had kept her okay with Toni hanging out with Jughead all the time was that he was dating Betty Cooper. The fact that he was taken and not going after her girlfriend was a very settling thought, but now that he was single again, she freaked out a bit. But she calmed herself down: Jughead was Toni's  _friend_ and he wouldn't be interested or anything, right? 

But then again, knowing Toni, it was probably easy for anyone to fall for her. She was annoyingly pretty and had the best personality Cheryl had ever encountered; she was sure that so many people would die to date her if they knew her... and Jughead knew her. Longer than Cheryl had, in fact. Plus, they had some weird Serpent bond that Cheryl could never measure up to. She was just a rich girl from the North Side who would never truly understand her Serpent life on the South Side, even if they connected on moral levels.

Cheryl kept telling herself to calm down. She trusted Toni. That girl would never hurt her— she would never  _dare_ cheat. She would never want to. They were happy together right now and she wouldn't jeopardize that.

"Someone told me they broke up. That shouldn't be a problem. She and Jughead are friends. She's probably just trying to comfort him after the break-up," Cheryl brushed it off.

Veronica nodded her head, "Yeah, I'm crazy. You're probably right. I try not to get jealous when Archie talks to other girls and I'm usually good at it. But, of course, my own friend is the one who  _goes for my boyfriend_." 

"What?" Cheryl's mouth hung open. "Betty?" 

Veronica nodded again. "Mhm. Betty. She tried to kiss Archie the other night. He said he backed away and I trust him— that's not the problem. The problem is that Betty did that to me, so... we're not exactly on the best of terms at the moment. I mean, she's said that she's sorry and that she slipped up and that it didn't mean anything, but I don't know if I can believe that. She was, like, super into him before she started dating Jughead."

"Maybe she never got over him," Cheryl threw it out there.

"Maybe, but that's no excuse. She's well-aware that Archiekins and I are together."

"It  _is_ no excuse. I never really liked Betty all that much." 

"No, she was a good friend until that point. Ugh, I just hate thinking about this," Veronica sighed. "I applaud you for being so cool about Jughead and Toni's history, but—"

" _What_?"

"Huh?"

"What history? They have history?" the redhead panicked.

Veronica blinked a few times. 

"Uh... yeah...? I— I thought you knew that?" she arched her eyebrows. "I don't know all of the details, I just know whatever Betty told me when she and Jughead broke up the last time, but I think Jughead and Toni had a small thing. It was nothing serious, though." 

"Why am I  _just_ hearing about this? And from  _you_?" Cheryl folded her arms.

Veronica shrugged her shoulders, "Cheryl, it's not the end of the world. There are a lot of reasons why Toni might have chosen not to tell you. Maybe she didn't know the right time you bring it up or never had the chance to bring it up. Or maybe it was so meaningless to her that she didn't even think she needed to mention it!"

" _Or_ it  _did_ mean something to her and that's why she can't tell me!"

Cheryl was initially planning on keeping her cool about the whole Jughead and Toni situation— up until she found out that they had  _romantic history_. That was one of the worst bombs that could have been dropped on her right now. Ugh, it was sickening just to think about how they were alone right now, a single Jughead who made it visibly clear that he despised Cheryl at the Whyte Wyrm, probably because he was  _ogling_ Toni and wanted her.

"Cheryl, I can see that you're freaking out right now, but maybe you should hold it until you know more," Veronica advised. "Maybe just  _ask_ her about it. She'll probably tell you if you ask."

Although Veronica's past advice on her relationship with Toni had been disastrous, Cheryl couldn't help but shake the feeling that she was right this time. Nothing good would come out of being immature and making a big deal about it. She had no reason to worry. Nothing, to her knowledge, had happened recently, not since she and Toni started dating and that was all that was important, right? There was no way that Toni was still secretly harboring feelings for Jughead or something, right?

 _Why would she_ , anyway? He was the Hobo King, it must have been a low point for Toni to even have had some romantic history with him. There was no way that she would give up what they had for  _him_. 

Right?

* * *

_Be mature, be mature._

Cheryl had repeated the words to herself as she drove up to the parking lot of the Whyte Wyrm, where she was supposed to meet up with Toni and her Serpent pals again... including Jughead Jones, sadly. As much as she wanted to kill her jealousy— as much as she wanted their relationship to  _be_ free of jealousy, that was just who she was. Sometimes, she happened to get insecure. The annoying part of her brain that just wouldn't shut up was asking her whether or not Toni would stop reciprocating feelings for her. It was asking her whether there was something going on between Toni and Jughead.

But she had knocked the jealousy out, at least temporarily.

She put on a bright smile as she entered the Whyte Wyrm, confident as she scanned the room for her girlfriend. Her tight-lipped smile intensified as she spotted Toni relaxing on a couch while Fangs and Sweet Pea were playing pool. 

"Hello," she hummed as she let herself drop on to the couch next to Toni, draping an arm around her. Toni smiled when she was greeted by her girlfriend, turning to place a peck on her lips.

"Hey! I'm glad you could make it."

"Wouldn't miss this."

Right then, Jughead came out of the restroom, hands still soaking wet from the sink. He grinned mischievously as he exited, turning to face Toni.

"Don't you  _dare_ , Jones!" she warned, holding up a warning finger at him.

Cheryl arched her eyebrows, not understanding the weird games they were playing. But before she had too much time to think, Jughead began shaking his hands vigorously, allowing sprinkle-showers of water to hit mainly Toni, but some of the stray drops had ever-so-luckily landed on Cheryl. The redhead groaned quietly, ready to complain to her girlfriend about it—

Toni jumped up from the couch, leaving Cheryl behind.

"I'm gonna fucking  _kill_ you, Jug!" she yelled, but it was so playful, the humor running off her tongue so effortlessly. And as much as she pretended to be angry, her laughter was seeping through as she chased Jughead around the pool table.

And then, there was the horrific sight that made Cheryl's eye twitch:

Amongst their playful little chasing game, Toni had jumped on to Jughead's back, pretending to strangle him. But the laughter kept running out of not just her mouth— both of theirs. They were so happy. So perfectly happy. If Cheryl didn't know better, she would have assumed that Jughead Jones was her boyfriend because there they were, so playfully happy and cute together. Toni even brought a hand up to the top of Jughead's head, ruffling up his hair.

"Quit it!" he laughed.

"I'm gonna make you pay for that!"

"Haven't you already done enough, Topaz? You got your revenge!"

Sweet Pea and Fangs were apparently unfazed by their completely weird interaction. The two boys paid no mind, continuing their pool game casually. Cheryl stood up from the couch, approaching them.

"Do they... um, do they do this often?" Cheryl questioned.

Fangs shrugged his shoulder, "Well, not this specifically, but they're pretty close, so they're always messing with each other. It's nothing."

"Seriously, Red," Sweet Pea nodded. "It's nothing to worry about. That's just Topaz and Jones being themselves."

The two boys resumed their pool game as Toni and Jughead continued bickering and roughhousing. Their words were slightly reassuring, but not enough. She wondered if Sweet Pea and Fangs had any knowledge of Toni and Jughead's apparent  _romantic history_.

And as much as she had intended to contain her jealousy, how the hell could she  _now_? Toni was so openly playful with Jughead and it hurt a bit. Who would ever want to see their girlfriend so close to somebody else? And she didn't have the thought of Jughead never hurting Betty to keep her from panicking because, of course, they just  _had_ to break up.

Then, it hit her. She knew exactly what she was missing here— she just had to get it back.

She needed Betty Cooper. 

* * *

Oh, how Cheryl wished that she had stopped the days of scheming and meddling. She had stopped herself before she meddled to get answers about why Toni was distancing herself and keeping her away from the South Side, which Cheryl did learn was for the better. If she had meddled, what if their relationship never started? She had given Toni the time and space to figure everything out, and in the end, Toni was finally ready to open up to her and bring her into her world.

Cheryl wished she could stop herself from doing this, but her jealousy of seeing Jughead and Toni together combined with this new information about their romantic past made way for too much tension. She needed reassurance; she needed Betty back in Jughead's life to keep her sane.

"Oh, _Betty_!" the redhead exclaimed, slickly taking a seat next to her in the common room at school. Betty, who had peacefully been sitting on one of the couches, reading some weirdo novel that Cheryl couldn't care less about, finally tore her head away from the pages when she heard the redhead's infamous voice. "How  _nice_ it is to see you here."

Betty blinked a few times. Cheryl  _rarely_ talked to her. She usually only talked to her when they were with Veronica, actually.

"Um, hi, Cheryl... can I help you with something?"

"Look, I'll get straight to it: I heard about your... little  _tryst_ with Archie Andrews."

A bright shade of red made its way to Betty's cheeks. A cheater was  _clearly_ not the image she was going for.

"How did you—"

"I'm  _me_. I know everything," she smiled proudly. "Never mind my sources, the fact is what it is. You went in for a a little  _baiser_ with Archie and destroyed your wonderful relationship with the Hobo." 

Betty sighed, rolling her eyes.

"What do you want from me, Cheryl?"

" _Nothing_!" she shook her head. "I simply want to  _help_ you, as I believe in you, my dear Betty. I think you made a stupid mistake when you did what you did and I believe that you regret it deeply." 

"I  _do_ ," Betty nodded her head. "God, I do... so much. I never wanted to hurt Jughead and I didn't want her relationship to end."

"Tell me more. I want to help you."

Betty looked at her skeptically. "Why would  _you_ want to do that, out of all people? What do you gain from it? You wouldn't do it without a reason."

"I need no reasons. I do what I want." 

"Seriously, why would you do this?"

"It was just better for everyone when you were with Jughead. Don't make me explain myself. Just accept my help."

Although she was still skeptical, she needed to talk about it with someone, even if that someone had to be Cheryl Blossom. Clearly, her best friend and usual confidant Veronica wasn't the best option, considering it was  _her_ boyfriend she had apparently attempted to steal. Veronica was barely speaking to her and she was pretty sure that the last casual conversation that they were going to have was about how she didn't  _mean_ to try to kiss her boyfriend. So, there it was: she was going to confide in Cheryl.

She took a deep breath before getting into it: "I just got caught up in the moment because we were looking through old albums of us as kids, and I don't know why I leaned in, but I did— but nothing happened because we  _didn't_ kiss. And I know Jughead will  _never_ believe me when I say it, but... I  _love_ him. I'm  _in love_ with him."

"So, you don't still love Archie?"

Betty shook her head, "No— of course not. Not like that. I mean, I love him as a friend and like a brother, but nothing more. He's one of my best friends, but Jughead's the one I actually love. And I screwed up so badly. Your help is probably pointless because he's never going to forgive me for what I did."

"Well, the least we can do is try."

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

Being at Jughead Jones's trailer was  _not_ Cheryl's ideal way of spending  _any_ amount of time. But the thought of losing Toni was enough to make her do almost anything. For that reason, there she was, standing outside of the frowzy, shabby little trailer that Jughead apparently called home. The tips of her heels were firmly pressed into the dirt. She folded her arms and just  _waited_ and  _waited_. It was like this couldn't go any faster. And the huge pit in her stomach was making this all the worse. It wasn't even the good kind of pit— the butterfly pit— that she got whenever she was around Toni. It was the feeling of doing something so incredibly wrong.

Cheryl normally had no regrets about her destructive, mischievous behavior, but this time appeared to be different. 

It had seemed like a good idea at the time when she was cooking up the plan with Betty Cooper, but the more she thought about it now, the worst it felt. Part of her wished she could back out of this. It was like a violation of Toni's trust and she could only  _imagine_ what her girlfriend would say if she ever found out—

" _Cheryl_?" 

The redhead went bug-eyed as she looked up, only to see  _Toni_ exiting Jughead's trailer, shutting the door behind her as she analyzed Cheryl.

"T.T.? What ever brings you here?" Cheryl faked a smile, batting her eyelashes.

"I was just hanging out with Jug, but then Betty came in and wanted to talk to him about their relationship, which, for the record, I think is a terrible idea because the last thing Jug needs is to see _her_ , but never mind... I could ask you the same question, though: what are _you_ doing here?" 

The question was calm and curious, but there was a hint of  _demand_ behind it, as if Toni strongly suspected something was going on. Cheryl figured it was only a reasonable suspicion, not just because she actually  _had_ done something invasive that could potentially jeopardize Toni's trust, but also because why the hell else would she be outside of Jughead's trailer?

"I was just... supporting Betty," she bit her lip.

It wasn't a  _lie_. That  _was_ technically what she was doing. She had helped Betty prepare her whole speech to Jughead about how she loved him and how she made a huge mistake letting him go, _blah-blah-blah_ , and then Betty insisted that she come with for "moral support." And although Cheryl would have preferred to stay away from this, she figured she would need to be there when Betty was done to find out if everything went as planned or, unfortunately, if Betty needed comfort or  _something_ of that sort in the case that Jughead rejected her apology and advances.

"Why?" Toni asked, almost laughing incredulously. "Why would you want to help her get him back after what she did to him? And besides, Cher, we both know that you wouldn't do...  _that_. Not without a good reason to."

Cheryl pressed her lips together. It was so fucking hard to lie to her— to lie to  _that_ face that had cared for her so deeply and who had been  _so_ good to her. She didn't  _want_ to lie to her, not anymore. She wished she could take this whole thing back and just do what Veronica had said; she should have asked Toni about Jughead instead of this. And she was scared as hell that Toni was going to leave her or stop trusting her if she found out.

She wanted to tell Toni everything— maybe, just maybe, she would understand to some extent. 

"T.T., please don't hate me," she pleaded, even with her eyes.

Toni's face softened, growing worried. She took slow steps toward her girlfriend.

"Will you just tell me what's going on?" the Serpent asked, her own eyes growing pleading.

Cheryl swallowed hard as she braced herself to reveal everything. She was sure that things were going to go downhill from here... she just wished she would have been a better girlfriend. She just lost control when she learned that Toni didn't tell her that something happened with Jughead, even if it was in the past.

"I thought..." she started, now unable to look the other girl in the eyes. "I thought that Jughead and Betty getting back together would... make things easier for us."

Toni raised her eyebrows, trying to put the puzzle pieces together. When it clicked for her, her eyes widened slightly, and she looked directly at the redhead.

"You were  _jealous_?" Toni folded her arms. "Of me and  _Jug_? Cheryl, that's insane!"

Cheryl just stood in place, seeing some type of anger boil up, or at least what she  _thought_ was anger. This was the first time she was seeing Toni get ticked off and it certainly wasn't as pleasant as her usual self. She didn't look like the warm angel that Cheryl usually saw her as. 

"And you didn't think to talk to  _me_ about this?" Toni continued, growing more frustrated. "You decided that you would talk to  _Betty Cooper_ and scheme something up instead of talking to  _me_ , your  _girlfriend_? Cher, we have always been open with each other, so I just don't understand why you didn't think you could talk to me about this, 'cause it is  _not_ okay for you to not trust me and go about this any other way than  _talking to me_." 

"Look, T.T., I'm  _sorry_ , okay?" Cheryl put her hands up in surrender. "I understand that I messed up, but... I was acting stupid because I was jealous and—"

"No, that's not an excuse," Toni shook her head. "I  _admire_ your craziness and how badass you are, but I draw the line when it comes to the trust between us. You had no reason to be jealous, anyway!"

 _Now_ Cheryl was getting a bit frustrated herself.

"No reason?" Cheryl raised her eyebrows. "Really? Because you  _conveniently_ never mentioned that you and Jughead have some  _history_ and I found out from somebody else!"

Toni's eyes widened.  _Fuck_ , she  _hadn't_ mentioned that to Cheryl before.

"You... know about that?"

" _Yes_ , and the question is: why didn't  _I_?" she asked.

"Because it's my...  _past_ , I don't know— I just, I didn't think to mention it and we haven't exactly talked about other people we've... been with, I just... I didn't have a good opportunity to say anything," Toni rambled, but then shrugged it off. "You know what? Whatever, Cher... I have somewhere else to be right now."

And as Toni walked off, slightly brushing past her, Cheryl  _did_ seriously question whether her girlfriend had somewhere else to be, but she didn't bother calling her into question. It was best they had some time to cool off, anyway. She wished that she didn't start arguing with Toni, but it happened, and now all that she wanted was for Toni to forgive her and for everything to be okay between them again.

* * *

 

That night, things worsened for Cheryl.

She was hoping that at the end of the day, her Toni would come back to Thistlehouse and they could be happy again, but of course, the Serpent's presence was absent in her home. Instead, Cheryl was left with an empty, lonely household.

As she crawled into bed and pulled the comforter over her body, all she could think about was Toni. Holding the blanket tightly against her chest, she turned to face the other side. It was fucking empty right where Toni had been sleeping every night. That had quickly become  _her side of the bed_ and they hadn't dared to change it since she started staying in Thistlehouse nightly. Now, there was nothing but empty space where Toni used to be and a whole lot of loneliness encapsulating Cheryl Blossom. 

Her discomfort with looking at Toni's side of the bed prompted her to shift sides, instead facing the nightstand next to her bed. There sat her phone, plugged into an outlet behind the nightstand, left to charge overnight. And Cheryl's eyes remained fixed on her cell phone, deeply wanting to just grab it and give Toni a call or leave her a text message, asking her to talk about what happened or just  _come home_.

Because that was all Cheryl wanted right now— she still just wanted Toni to come back to Thistlehouse and for their relationship to be okay. It was probably serious if she didn't come back that night, right? She was probably  _so_ mad and considering ending their relationship. Cheryl figured it was only a matter of time before she scared off yet another person... this time, one who actually cared deeply about her. She seemed to drive everyone important to her away. Soon, she assumed that Veronica would want to stop being her friend, too.

She didn't call, though. She didn't want to pressure Toni or force their relationship to a resolution. There was no place for immaturity in this relationship, which she thought she had been building up, until she slipped up and let her jealousy get the best of her.

She didn't know why she let it happen. She let this escalate way too far when, deep down, she  _trusted_ Toni. She  _knew_ that the girl would  _never_ dare hurt her. 

Tugging the blanket even closer to her body, clinging on to it as tightly as she could, the redhead forced her eyes shut. She would just have to handle this night alone— she had been alone all-around after Jason died until Toni recently came into her life, so she had to find a way to be able to do it again. The blanket would have to take place of Toni, who she had so recently grown accustomed to clinging on to tightly during the night. And often times, Toni would turn around, pulling Cheryl in and holding her close. 

God, Cheryl wanted to be in her arms again  _so_ damn badly.

* * *

The situation, of course, wouldn't leave Toni's mind, either. She wanted everything to be okay with Cheryl, too, but they were in this odd area. Toni was obviously hurt that her own girlfriend didn't trust her and was jealous of her  _friendship_ with someone else, but at the same time, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was in the wrong, too. After all, she hadn't told Cheryl about what had happened with Jughead in the past, yet she continued to hang out with him. She could only imagine how hurt Cheryl would have been to discover that.

But that still wasn't enough. Cheryl had gone behind her back to secretly remove Jughead from the "problem" by fixing up his relationship with Betty. Perhaps it was a harmless little scheme, but it was a scheme nonetheless. And it was a scheme that called Cheryl's trust in her into question, so that hurt like hell.

"Well, this day has been stressful as hell, so I'm gonna get out of here," Toni announced, patting Sweet Pea on the back. "Did you drink anything or are you good to go?"

"I'm good, Topaz. I just had like half a beer hours ago. Plus, Alexis is coming to get me," Sweet Pea told her.

Toni nodded her head, grabbing her Serpent jacket and getting up from her seat at the Wyrm.

"Wait," Sweet Pea called her back. "You going back to the North Side to crash with Red tonight, or what?"

Toni shook her head, "No, I'm staying South tonight. With everything that's going on with us, I thought it'd be best to get some space, you know? Jug said that I could crash in his trailer." 

"That's nice of him and I get wanting space from your girl, but..." Sweet Pea shifted in his seat. "You ever maybe wonder why the Princess got jealous of you guys in the first place?" 

She raised her eyebrows. "Where are you going with this? Jug and I are  _just friends_ and he's let me crash in his trailer many, many times. That's what Serpents do for each other— we're like family... we take care of each other when one of our own needs help." 

He chuckled, shaking his head, "You don't gotta educate me on the meaning of Serpent loyalty, it's just... I saw you guys with my own eyes, and I saw the way she was breaking inside. Shit, she shouldn't have gone behind your back and schemed it up with the blondie, but you gotta at least see where she was coming from." 

"No, I'm not going to  _justify_ her jealousy, Sweets," Toni grew frustrated, folding her arms. "Look, nothing matters except that she didn't trust me. You know that Jug and I are just friends. She should've known it, too."

"Okay," Sweet Pea backed off, putting his hands up in surrender. "Don't shoot, Topaz. Get back safely, alright? Call me if there's any trouble."

"I'll be fine," Toni smiled at him weakly as she started for the door of the Wyrm.

Her eyes remained on the floor as she left the building. She could barely hear  _herself_ when she was talking to Sweet Pea. Obviously, she was still upset about what Cheryl did, but part of her truly did believe that there was an element of reasoning behind Cheryl's concerns. She wondered if she had given Cheryl  _reasons_ to believe that something was going on.

She tried to shake it as she got on her motorcycle to head off to Jughead's trailer, though. Cheryl hadn't trusted her, and that was that.

Upon arriving at Jughead's trailer, Toni stepped inside through the unlocked door to find Jughead lazily stretched across the couch, flipping through channels on the small television sitting on the beaten-down table. He turned his attention from the TV, smiling when he saw her, adjusting so that he was sitting up straight. Toni dropped her jacket on a nearby table before coming over to the couch. Jughead scooted over, giving the pink-haired girl room to join him.

"Hey," he greeted. "You have a good time at the Wyrm?" 

She nodded, "Yeah, just talked and shot some pool with Sweets. Didn't drink anything."

"Nice," he said, toying with his hands. 

She shifted, noticing the peculiar expression on his face.

"Jug," she blinked a few times. "You okay?"

He nodded his head.

"I'm good, I just..."

"Is this about Betty?"

He opened his mouth, clearly wanting to talk, but shut it again. So, she supposed, it  _was_ about Betty Cooper. Toni decided to just give him time to gather himself. After a few moments of silence, he finally opened his mouth to speak again.

"As you saw, she came by earlier and wanted to talk things over," Jughead started. "She was saying  _all the right things_ and I just— I wanted to forgive her  _so badly_ , Toni. I did. And I think I  _do_ forgive her because I think she does love me, but I don't know if I'm ready to be with her again. I don't wanna get hurt all over again."

Toni was surprised to see him so in-tact with his feelings. Usually, Jughead was the kind of guy who "didn't wanna talk about it." But, for once, he was opening up.

"Jug, you don't owe her anything," Toni told him. "She hurt you and you have every right to be  _pissed_ about it. You should only get back together with her if you're  _ready_ to do it. Like,  _really_ ready." 

He chuckled bitterly, relaxing further against the couch. "Relationships are some tough shit, huh?"

"Tell me about it..." she muttered, letting out a tiny sigh.

He shifted, sitting straight up again, looking at her with a curious expression.

"What?" he asked. "And here I was, thinking that everything was in  _paradise_ for you and Cheryl Blossom..."

She shrugged her shoulders, "We just got into a bit of a... fight, or something like that. I don't even know if it's a real fight or anything—"

"Toni, you also have the right to be mad if she hurt you. What happened?"

Toni bit her lip hesitantly before finally deciding to tell him.

"Cheryl apparently didn't trust me, so she went to Betty and tried to help her get back together with you. I guess... she was worried that there was something between... us," she confessed. "It's stupid, I know." Toni shook her head, brushing it off.

Jughead sat silently, pondering it all for a few seconds. He wasn't mad that Cheryl helped Betty because whatever Betty  _did_ end up saying clearly came from a place very true to her. He believed that her apology and everything she said was genuine, even if she got some sort of help from Cheryl.

"Is it stupid, though?" he asked.

Toni looked over at him, confused.

"I mean, is the whole fight stupid?" he clarified. "Is she really wrong?"

"Jug—"

" _Toni_ ," he cut her off. "I don't think it's crazy for someone to think there's something between us. I mean, don't you ever think that there  _is_?"

Toni's eyes widened. What the hell?

Last time, Jughead may have said some similar stuff, but she chalked that all up to him being hurt because of Betty's betrayal. And maybe this was still that; in fact, it probably was because he didn't want to get hurt by being with Betty again, but Toni wasn't going to sit here and let him try to rebound—

Before she knew it, Jughead started leaning in slowly, his eyes shut, clearly trying to kiss her. Immediately, Toni backed up, shaking her head.

" _Jughead_ ," she said incredulously. "You need to sort your feelings out, okay? I understand that you're conflicted about your relationship with Betty, but don't try to make this something that it's not. There's nothing between us, not anymore. The only person I have feelings for is  _Cheryl_ and I think I get where she was coming from,  _completely_ , now."

She had been so oblivious, hadn't she? Whether or not Jughead actually had feelings for her, she didn't know. But she  _did_ know that he had clearly been trying to start something, even if it was just to make Betty jealous or rebound or whatever the hell he was aiming for. And sure, that didn't excuse Cheryl for not talking to her about it, but she also had made some mistakes here.

"Fuck," he sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "Toni, I'm  _so_ fucking sorry. I shouldn't have done that, I know."

Toni moved further away. Then, she decided to stand up from the couch, slowly backing away. She grabbed her Serpent jacket from the table.

"Come on," he pleaded, tilting his head to the side. "I feel like crap now. I don't want to mess our friendship up, either. That was stupid as hell of me—"

"Jug," she said calmly, staring straight at him. "I should go now. You need to take a night to cool off, okay? We can talk tomorrow."

Jughead knew that there was no reason to keep pleading to her. He fucked up  _badly_ and there was no way that he was going to be able to fix it tonight. His head was a jumbled mess between Betty and Toni, and the worst thing he could have done right now was to try to kiss her... especially when he _knew_ that she was in a relationship with somebody else. He was already beating himself up over it.

* * *

"Toni?"

"You were right, Sweets. I don't entirely excuse what Cheryl did, but I know she wasn't out of her mind to be jealous. I mean, I probably would've been if I were in her situation now that I see it... and I normally keep my cool; I'm not the jealous type."

Sweet Pea raised his eyebrows. 

"Topaz, did something happen with Jughead tonight?"

She bit her lip, causing him to immediately open the door to his trailer wider, letting her in.

"Come in," he said, shutting the door once she was inside of his trailer. 

"Can I stay here tonight?" she asked. "I'm going to talk to Cheryl tomorrow."

He nodded his head, "Of course. You're always welcome here, but Alexis  _is_ in my room. She'll buzz off, though."

Toni nodded her head back.

"You gonna tell me or what?" he asked, looking at her slightly nervous. "You didn't do something to hurt her, right? 'Cause I actually sorta like this one, in all honesty. I mean, I don't know her that well, but I'm starting to like her now that you've brought her around a couple times."

Toni flopped down on to Sweet Pea's couch, prompting him to sit next to her.

"Jughead and I... did some stuff," she confessed.

"The  _hell_ , Topaz?"

"A  _long_ time ago," she clarified. "Like, when he and Betty broke up the first time. We didn't sleep together or anything, but we kissed and some stuff happened between us. She found out about it and it didn't come from me, so I guess that freaked her out."

"You and Jones?" he scoffed. "That must've been a low-point for you." 

Toni rolled her eyes, "Anyways, that's long over and I don't feel anything for him anymore."

"Good," he said. "I'm glad. But what happened tonight? I mean, weren't you supposed to crash with him?"

She nodded her head, "I don't know what's going on with him exactly, but he tried to kiss me tonight. I moved away immediately, but he still tried and I think I can see why Cheryl would freak out over the vibe she got. I mean, I wish she would've trusted  _me_ because _I_ don't feel anything for  _anyone_ but her—"

"This is sweet and all, but I'm not the one you should be telling all of this to," he reminded her. "You've gotta talk to her, okay? But I wouldn't worry too much, 'cause I've seen the way you guys look at each other. I think you'll be okay. Okay?"

He was right. She nodded again.

"Right. Thanks for everything, Sweets," Toni smiled.

Sweet Pea got up from the couch, grabbing a spare blanket from a drawer before tossing it to Toni.

"Good night, Topaz."

"Night, Sweets."

* * *

Motorcycle parked outside of Thistlehouse, Toni took slow steps toward the front door. She swallowed hard, curling her fist into a ball and gently knocking on the surface in front of her. She took a calming breath to prepare herself. Door swinging open, Cheryl stood there, startled by her girlfriend's presence, but a warmth quickly filled her: Toni had  _finally_ come back. She pushed away her fear that the Serpent was here to end things.

"T.T.," she breathed.

"Hey, Bombshell," Toni breathed back, a weak smile forming on her face.

Instantly, she sunk into Cheryl, pulling the redhead in for a warm hug. Cheryl asked no questions and simply hugged the girl back, clinging to her body tightly. Toni's head was buried between Cheryl's neck and shoulder; the girl held on to locks of red hair, pressing them against her face, taking in the sweet scent of cherry that she had been away from for much longer than she would have liked.

"Can I come inside?" Toni asked as they pulled apart.

"Always," Cheryl nodded, letting the Serpent into her home.

She closed the door of Thistlehouse, then started following Toni to the couch in the living room. 

Once they were both sitting, Toni breathily spoke: "I'm so, so sorry, Cheryl. I've been so blind that I didn't realize all the things I was doing to make you worried—"

"What? T.T., no... this is  _not_ your fault," Cheryl shook her head. "After all,  _I'm_ the one who terribly failed her role as girlfriend and went off to childish ways, stooping so low as to contact  _Betty Cooper_ for assistance." 

Toni tilted her head, looking at her girlfriend sympathetically.

"Look," the Serpent began, taking the redhead's hands in her own, squeezing them. "We have to be able to communicate with each other, okay? And you have to  _trust me_ , Cher. We have always had trust in each other and that shouldn't change now just because we started dating. I know I didn't make the whole trust thing easy for you with this Jughead situation, and for that... I'm so sorry."

"Yes,  _of course_ ," Cheryl nodded her head. "I do trust you. What I did was a grave error and I never should have done it... but, if I may ask, why  _didn't_ you tell me about your past with Jughead?"

Toni pressed her lips together, thinking. There was no  _great_ reason for it.

"I don't know," she shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I just didn't think to talk about it. I should've told you, especially since he's still my friend and a part of my life. But I'm willing to tell you everything now, if you'll let me."

"Better late than never, I suppose."

There was a looming fear in Cheryl, not because she  _doubted_ Toni— no, she completely believed in her that there was nothing going on with Jughead or anyone else. But although she had wanted Toni to tell her about this and about everything important from her past, there was some sort of discomfort that it was  _actually_ happening now. She wanted the whole truth and she wanted answers, but perhaps she was afraid to hear about it. Obviously, it wasn't appealing to hear about her girlfriend's  _whatever_ -relationship with someone else. 

Toni began, "He had recently joined the Serpents and we became fast friends; I helped him figure his way around the Serpents because he was new to being a part of a gang and all. I sort of had a crush on him, but it was nothing serious and I knew he was with Betty, so I kept my distance  _there_. You might already know this, but Jughead and Betty broke up at the beginning of the school year for a short amount of time, and that was around the time that Jughead was getting initiated as a Serpent. It happened the night that it became official."

 _It happened_. 

As Cheryl expected, the words stung. She didn't know what exactly  _it_ meant, but she knew that she wasn't enjoying the story. She could appreciate that Toni was finally telling her about it, but that didn't make it suck any less to hear, especially when she had spent the past few days being jealous about this very thing.

"What... exactly happened?" 

Toni shrugged, "Sweet Pea had beaten him pretty badly with the brass knuckles, so I was taking care of him... we kissed and did some stuff. PG-13 grope session, at best, I promise." 

"So, you didn't...?"

Toni could see the fear in the redhead's eyes as she trailed off. Immediately, she shook her head.

"No, no, we didn't sleep together," she assured her. "And I'm  _glad_ we didn't because he was still in love with Betty and I needed something better than a  _rebound_... and I have that, with you." 

Cheryl had to say: she was damn relieved. It was still unappealing in every way to hear that  _anything_ happened with Jughead, and God, the thought of her sweet little Toni sucking face (at the very least) with that  _hobo_ was disastrous to her mind. She shuddered internally, trying to shake away the imagery from her brain.

"T.T.—"

"Wait," Toni stopped her. "I want to be completely honest with you, from start to finish, so I want to get through everything, okay?"

Cheryl nodded her head, and the Serpent continued: "We're still friends and I told him that I'm more into girls, anyway, so there were no hard feelings when he got back together with Betty that time. But then he and Betty just broke up  _again_ and I don't know what's going on in his head, but he's... made some advances recently. He tried to kiss me last night."

Cheryl's eyes widened. Fuck.  _What the fuck_? That  _heathen_ tried to kiss  _her_ girlfriend? She didn't want to be possessive, but all she could think about now was how his slimy self leaned in and tried to kiss  _her_ Toni. If he weren't Toni's friend, perhaps Cheryl would consider burning his entire property down.

"Nothing happened though, right?"

Toni nodded her head in confirmation. "Nothing happened; he just tried to kiss me, but I left and went to Sweet Pea's trailer immediately. I'm not sure if he actually is interested or if he's just rebounding because he's heartbroken and confused, but it doesn't matter, anyway. I  _do not_ have feelings for him in any way, okay? You have to trust me when I tell you that you're the  _only_ one I wanna be with, Cher. So, you didn't have to try to fix Betty and Jug up together again, 'cause it doesn't matter if Jughead's with Betty or  _anyone_ for that matter. It doesn't matter if he's really into me or rebounding. I'm sorry for being ignorant about what was going on and for not telling you these things... but it's you, Cher— it's  _always_ gonna be you." 

Well,  _that_ was convincing. Cheryl felt something in her eyes, afraid that it was  _tears_ welling up— the emotional, sappy kind of tears that she did not want to be caught with. She batted her eyes, trying to send them away.

But then, Toni picked her hands up, bringing the redhead's knuckles to her lips, butterflying kisses across each finger. And then, Cheryl couldn't control her eyes; the tears she had tried to prevent came streaming down her cheeks.

"Do you trust me, Cher?" Toni asked, searching in the redhead's eyes for an answer.

" _Yes_ , T.T. And I never should have doubted you," Cheryl breathed, nodding her head vigorously. "My behavior was certainly foolish and I  _know_ you don't feel anything for Jughead. If I ever have a concern like this again, you are one-hundred percent the one I'll talk to about it."

Toni's lips curved into a smile. Still holding Cheryl's hands, Toni leaned in to press a long kiss to her lips. 

"You know, after all this stuff, I just realized that I haven't even taken you on a real date." 

Cheryl raised her eyebrows, "Oh, come on... we go to Pop's all the time."

Toni scoffed, "Yeah, but that's nothing, just a little lunch. I was talking about a date  _worthy_ of Cheryl Blossom, hmm?"

The redhead smirked, "Well, I certainly would not be opposed to it, T.T." 


	12. Chapter 12

_Date._

The word seemed so formal to Cheryl that she never considered any of her past hang-outs with Toni an actual date, not even the ones since they  _actually_ started a relationship. When Toni had asked her to watch the outdoor movie at Pop's way before they started, Cheryl had pondered heavily whether or not she was being asked on a date. But since then, she hadn't given the word "date" much thought.

When she and Toni watched a movie together at Thistlehouse or went for a casual milkshake at Pop's after school, Cheryl never gave the word  _date_ much thought. They were simply hanging out. 

But now, Toni was apparently taking her on a "real date." Cheryl hadn't expected the Serpent to go through with it; she thought it was merely a playful little comment. However, Toni took that comment  _extremely_ seriously. She gave her girlfriend a day and time for her to be ready: the following Saturday at five-o-clock PM. There was no word of  _where_ they would be going or  _what_ they would be doing, though. And most worrying to Cheryl: there was no indication of  _what to_ _wear_. 

She threw on a little black dress because even if this were a casual event, Cheryl Blossom did  _not_ do casual. It was in her character to be extraordinary, no matter the situation.

As she coated her lips with another layer of deep red lipstick, the sound of a knock on the door filled the room, echoing in the grand halls of Thistlehouse. Cheryl put the cap back on her lipstick, tossing it into her make-up bag before rushing down the grand staircase to the front door. 

Pulling the door open, she found none other than Toni Topaz— in ripped black jeans and a cropped white, long-sleeved top, jean jacket over it. It was much more casual than Cheryl was expecting, but she found that her T.T. looked stunning in just about  _anything_. 

"Am I overdressed?" the redhead asked. 

"If any other person were wearing that: yes. But you? It's perfect," Toni commented, cocking her head to the side with a tight-lipped smile.

"Well, I sure am  _intrigued_ to find out what this mystery location is." 

"I'm excited for you to see it," Toni told her. "But before we go, I thought that I'd start this date off right."

From behind her back, Toni pulled out a bouquet of roses. Immediately, Cheryl's hand flew to her mouth— these roses were gorgeous and their fresh scent was nothing but pleasant to her nose. Accepting the bouquet, she pulled her girlfriend in for a peck, followed by a long, warm hug. 

"Oh, T.T., these are  _lovely_!" the redhead gushed. "Will you give me a second while I go put them in water?"

"Not at all."

After about a minute had passed, Cheryl returned to the door, stepping outside, shutting her front door. She followed Toni, but stopped in her tracks when she saw four-hundred pounds of a metal death trap parked right by Thistlehouse. And the way Toni grabbed two helmets so casually was  _frightening_.

" _Don't_ tell me that  _this_ is our transportation tonight—"

"It is," Toni chuckled. "Come on, take a helmet."

Cheryl shook her head profusely, her eyes filled with disdain toward that  _motorcycle_. She knew that was how Toni got around town, and that was fine, but when  _she_ was the one who had to ride that thing, the story was different.

The Serpent looked at her quizzically, instantly noticing her hesitation to come toward the bike.

"Cher, are you  _scared_?" Toni asked, a mocking laugh escaping her mouth.

" _No_ , of course not!" Cheryl denied, once again shaking her head profusely. "But you can drive my car instead— cherry red convertible waiting right in the garage; it's very nice, I promise. Perhaps we should have more suitable transportation for our first real date?"

Toni saw right through her, eyeing her girlfriend with disbelief.

"Uh-huh," she said sarcastically, her eyes not leaving the redhead. "Who would've thought that out of everything, Cheryl Blossom's afraid of riding on a motorcycle?"

"I am  _not_!" Cheryl denied again with adamance in her voice, folding her arms.

"Then come over here and prove it, Bombshell," the Serpent smirked, dangling the helmet from its buckle mockingly, while simultaneously motioning for the redhead to come over toward her with her free hand.

Instead of swallowing her pride and admitting that she may have been  _slightly_ afraid of riding on that beat-up motorcycle, she took slow, hesitant steps toward Toni until she was within distance to take the black helmet out of her hands. She could feel Toni's teasing eyes on her, clearly enjoying this situation. She was relieved when the Serpent finally looked away, so she could fidget with this helmet and put it on.  _Ugh_ , it was rattling up her perfect red hair— she didn't know  _how the hell_ Toni always looked so good, even her hair, after riding this motorcycle with her helmet on.

"C'mon," Toni urged, offering a hand as she herself climbed on to the bike. "I'll keep you safe, I promise. Just hold on to me tightly." 

Cheryl nodded, grabbing on to Toni's shoulder as she propped herself on to the back of the motorcycle. Although the tension was still eating away at her, Cheryl wrapped her arms around Toni's waist, clinging tightly. Toni removed one of her hands from the handle, bringing it down to meet Cheryl's hand on her waist, squeezing it reassuringly. Some of the tension the redhead felt eased, even as the Serpent placed both hands back on the handles. 

Toni started up her motorcycle, balancing as she turned it around and drove off from Thistlehouse, on to the roads of Riverdale. As they kept moving, the wind started hitting Cheryl's face, the breeze of freedom taking over her. She loosened her too-tight grip around Toni's waist, although she still held on, relaxing into the ride. Her tension started to fly away, the cool breeze making her heart race so that she felt so alive inside. The roar of the motorcycle had been unsettling at first, but long gone were all her fears about this so-called "death trap."

In fact, it was actually quite nice. 

Cheryl's whole body felt looser. Locks of her red hair were flying off in the wind, but she stopped thinking about all the knots that were probably forming in her usually-perfect waves of hair. She took in her surroundings: the trees and pale skies of Riverdale. She had almost forgotten what a beautiful little small town this was.

Before she knew it, Toni stopped the bike. Cheryl snapped back into reality, eyeballing the grassy land beside her, followed by the vast body of fresh, dark blue water in front of her. It was Sweetwater River. She stared at the place with a dull ache in her heart while Toni started to get off, removing her own helmet. She hung her helmet on one of the bike's handles, then offering Cheryl a hand to get down. She reached forward, unclipping the helmet for the redhead, then taking it off of her head and hanging it on the other handle. When she looked back at the redhead, she noticed the peculiar expression on her face.

"Hey, you okay?" the Serpent asked, blinking a few times. "Was the ride  _that_ bad?"

"No," Cheryl shook her head, forcing a smile. "Actually, I enjoyed it far more than I was expecting, to be honest. It was fun— liberating, even."

Toni grinned, "Good, I'm glad you liked it. Maybe you'll ride with me more often now."

"We'll see about that," the redhead chuckled, pecking the Serpent's lips. "It may have been too much adrenaline for me." 

"You'll get used to it. And don't get over it already... we've still got the ride back," Toni reminded. "I've always wanted to take you on my bike, though."

Cheryl just smiled at the other girl.

Pulling up the seat of the motorcycle, Toni grabbed some blankets from inside, waving them so they rolled out, then draping them across a spot of her choice on the grassy land. She then returned to the seat, pulling out a basket. The redhead's smile deepened.

"Is that what this is?" she asked. "A picnic?"

"Sure is," Toni said. "Want to lay with me?"

Effortlessly, the two girls found their perfect spot, laying on top of the blanket together. Cheryl's head was pressed to Toni's side, her head peeking on to her chest, her arm draped across the Serpent's stomach. Toni had her arms back, tucked comfortably underneath her head. 

After many moments of peaceful silence, Toni asked, "Are you... disappointed? About me taking you here? I know it's not the most  _riveting_ and _unique_ date idea ever, so..."

"No, it's not that— this is amazing, T.T., but..." Cheryl started, nervousness filling her eyes. She seemed afraid. "I haven't been back here since last year... I never told you what happened."

Toni turned her head downward, looking at her curiously. She untucked one of her hands from her head, grabbing Cheryl's hand. "Cher, what happened?"

"After I found out the truth about what happened to Jason— that my father was the one who was responsible for his death... and that my entire family business was a devious substance scandal, I... felt like I lost control," she spoke. Toni squeezed her hand harder. "I had been thinking about it for a few days: I gave away some of my belongings, like my HBIC shirt to Veronica, and... I- I thought it would be easier to escape the pain because then... then I could finally be with him— I wanted to be with Jason."

"Oh my God— I had no idea," Toni's breath hitched, her heart aching as she watched the pain in Cheryl's eyes. It hurt her to see her girlfriend like this. She could see the way everything haunted the redhead; the metaphorical scars were still hanging over her head. "You tried to hurt yourself, Cheryl?" 

"The plan was... to drown myself in Sweetwater River," she revealed, tears starting to build in her eyes.

She recalled trailing down to Sweetwater River by herself on that snowy day; the lake was completely frozen over, but there was thin ice all around. She was just going to break a little hole in the ice and drop herself inside of the freezing cold water. That was where Jason was  _supposed_ to have faked his death, but instead, her treacherous father had gotten in the way, taking her sweet Jason from her. He took away her twin brother— the only one who truly cared for her at the time.

And there, she had wanted so badly to end it all. Then, she could get away from the constant pain that she felt and see him again. She wouldn't have to be away from Jason any longer, as she couldn't bear this cruel world without Jason. After her father killed himself, her mother showed her no love. For whatever reason, she blamed Cheryl for taking her father away, saying that she had wanted him gone. And perhaps she did. He took J.J. away.

"Archie, Veronica, and the rest of the Scooby gang came for me, surprisingly. I had given Veronica a goodbye message, telling her that I wanted to be with J.J.," Cheryl explained. "I was going to turn around, but then the ice broke, and... I fell inside of the water; all I remember was that it was so cold and I thought I saw Jason's... dead body floating, then everything became hazy. But, they saved me... and I am forever grateful that they did." 

The tears were now falling down her cheeks. Toni's heart continued to ache; the poor girl was so broken inside and all Toni wished she could do was make everything better for her. The best she could do was offer comfort— she brought her hands up to Cheryl's cheeks, wiping away the tears with her thumbs.

"Thank you for telling me, Cher. I... _hate_ that you ever felt that way," Toni said quietly, as if she spoke any louder, she would break her. "And if you  _ever_ feel that way again— feel like hurting yourself in any way, even the smallest of an urge... call me, okay? Promise me you'll call me?"

Cheryl hadn't revisited that dark place in her life in a long time, so admittedly, it was difficult to be overwhelmed by those memories. The more time she spent with Toni, the more she started to look forwards instead of backwards. But she still needed to talk about this.

The only other people who knew were Veronica, Archie, Betty, and Jughead, but they hadn't dared to bring up that incident since... not even Veronica. Just like Jason's murder, Cheryl's tragic behavior was too sensitive of a topic for people to discuss with her. So, perhaps it was utterly refreshing to get all of this off of her chest and  _actually_ address it, just the way Toni helped her address what happened to Jason.

"I promise," Cheryl spoke quietly, nodding her head. She brought her hands up to Toni's cheeks, simply cupping them and gazing into her brown eyes. Toni rolled on to her side so that she was now facing the redhead, gazing back into her eyes. 

Their faces inched closer and closer, until their lips finally touched gently, settlement and comfort running through both girls. They were at peace together. And Cheryl was able to let go of the bad images from when she was here last year, wanting nothing more than to not have to suffer without Jason any longer. She could hear the birds chirping and the faintest sounds of the river water humming in her ears so melodically. And she could  _feel_ the soft sensation of Toni's lips against hers, the quiet suctioning of their mouths. It was utterly wonderful to be here with her.

Once their lips separated, Cheryl retreated to her initial position, resting her head on Toni's chest, arm draped across her stomach. She pulled in closer, clinging so tightly to the other girl. Toni Topaz was her  _rock_.

She glanced up at the Serpent, who was peacefully staring up at the sky, just holding the redhead in her arms. She was so beautiful and wonderful, Cheryl could hardly believe that this  _angel_ of a human being was in her life. 

Then, suddenly, she felt something odd... a peculiar kind of twitch in her body, heaviness taking over her chest and heart. Her stomach was filled with more butterflies than ever and she wondered if thiswas it— if  _this_ was what loving somebody felt like. It made her heart race even faster; she never thought she would truly love someone, not after Jason. 

In her head, she toyed with the idea of bringing the thought aloud, expressing to Toni that she might possibly love her, but quickly retreated from it. It was too soon to say something that...  _monumental_ , right? "Love" was a big deal; it wasn't the type of word to throw around without fully understanding the meaning of it. And she had no idea if Toni felt that strongly for her, anyway. 

It had to be too soon; they had known each other for a bit of time now, but they hadn't actually been together for long at all. If she threw around words like "love," she would risk driving Toni away from her, and having no Toni in her life was far worse than any other outcome in this situation.

Instead, she continued resting on Toni's chest, enjoying the warmth of her body and the beautiful silence between them until—

"I'm  _starving_ ," Toni chuckled, shifting so that Cheryl had no choice but to move off of her. The Serpent sat up straight. "I spent time making food in Sweet Pea's kitchen, and it's  _hard_ to cook in a kitchen with appliances that won't turn on half the time, so we are  _not_ wasting."

Cheryl smiled, "I wouldn't dream of wasting anything you prepared, T.T. Also, I had no idea that you cooked."

"Oh, I  _don't_ ," she shook her head, chuckling. "It took a lot more effort and time than I'm willing to reveal, so we're not gonna talk about it. I'm the furthest thing from a master chef, so you can just fake a smile and tell me you love it, huh?"

_Love it? Not quite as much as you, surely._

The redhead swallowed hard, shaking the thought away. Not right now— it simply wasn't the right time to tell her something like this. She would have to wait until she was  _sure_ that Toni loved her. She forced a smile before grabbing a sandwich that Toni had made from the basket, unwrapping it from the saran wrap. Toni had clearly put a lot of effort into this. 

"T.T., can I just tell you how much I appreciate you doing all of this for me?"

"You might not appreciate it anymore when you taste it," the Serpent joked.

Cheryl rolled her eyes, "I'm being serious. That isn't important to me, anyway. You've been nothing but wonderful to me since the beginning, and I have to say, I'm so grateful that you're in my life."

"Well, I'm grateful that you're in mine, Cher," Toni smiled. "I'll take that as you _don't_  regret us hooking up at your party?"

Cheryl's mouth curled into an o-shape.

"Honestly, T.T., I had almost forgotten about that," Cheryl confessed. "I'd like to think that we're so much more than that night, so... perhaps it was a mistake to go that far on the very first night we met, but it was certainly is the best mistake I've ever made. Now I have you in my life."

"I'd make that mistake all over again if I could."

As the redhead bit into the sandwich, she locked her eyes on Toni, who did the same thing back. The two of them began eating the food, unable to take their eyes off of each other... or fight the wide smiles emerging on their faces. Both of them were nothing short of happy. 

 


	13. Chapter 13

_"Dude, apparently **Cheryl Blossom's** hookin' up with a girl." _

That was enough to make Toni's head snap to the other direction, finding two boys dressed in Bulldogs letterman jackets having their casual locker talk. Toni was used to hearing people talk about Cheryl around school— she was finding that her girlfriend was an  _extremely_  popular subject amongst the students, often the center of their gossip. However, most things they said were petty, untrue rumors that Toni would pay no mind to; she knew the redhead better than that. But this time, it was different.

This time, they had somehow caught a glimpse of the truth. She hadn't heard  _anyone_ gossiping about Cheryl's sexuality before. She had heard rumors that the redhead had a thing with random guys before; the narrative around school was always that she was as straight as a tack. 

Her ears instinctively tuned in to the rest of their conversation.

"You've gotta be kidding," the first boy's friend replied, laughing incredulously. "No fuckin' way. Didn't she make out with Moose at that party?" 

The first boy shrugged his shoulders, "No guy has actually wanted to  _date_ her, though. Most guys just wanna fuck her."

"I mean, she  _is_ hot."

Toni's eye twitched. These fucking idiots.

Every part of her wanted to march right over there and give them a piece of her mind, maybe even bringing her fists to their faces. They had no right to talk about Cheryl that way. They didn't even know her... not the way Toni did. And while she was right on the verge of going over to them, her attention shifted when she was approached by none other than the redhead herself. 

Cheryl came up to her with a bright smile on her face. Toni's eyes went wide. Fuck, those immature boys were going to continue talking about Cheryl... and the last thing Toni wanted right now was for her to hear all of the gross things that they were saying.

"Cher, hey!" she tried to talk loudly. 

"T.T., what is with you?" the redhead laughed.

Before Toni could think of an excuse or something else to loudly say, the annoying boys took over.

"Guess she couldn't get any guys to date her so she went lesbo."

And Cheryl most certainly heard it. 

God, if Toni could beat those idiot football players up right now, she would... although, it was probably best to avoid expulsion at a school where the staff was already skeptical about the presence of Serpents and other South Siders. So, she kept her mouth shut, watching Cheryl's face for a reaction; her smile had faded. She didn't look as bright and happy as she did when she first arrived.

"Cheryl, don't listen to what they're saying," Toni told her. "They're dumbasses... they don't even know what the hell they're talking about!"

The redhead still seemed shaken, but just nodded her head.

"I should have known that it was only a matter of time before the entire school started talking about this."

"Are you upset?" 

Cheryl opened her mouth to answer, but oh-so conveniently, the bell rang. She shot the Serpent an apologetic look as she turned the other direction to go to class, but Toni had a feeling that the redhead herself didn't know the answer to the question. Of course, Toni didn't blame her for it. The whole school, aside from the few friends who knew, thought Cheryl Blossom was straight this entire time. Cheryl didn't exactly have a say in this "shocking revelation" that had somehow spread around.

Toni sighed, shutting her locker and walking to her own class. She wondered how people had even found out. Sure, they weren't the most discreet, as they gave each other looks all the time and hung out whenever they had free time at school, but that could all be concluded as a close friendship. They hadn't kissed at school or held hands while walking down the hallway— they weren't the constant PDA couple like Archie and Veronica were. But quite honestly, they hadn't really discussed "going public" with their relationship. They just... were together. Toni never pushed it and tried to be "romantic" at school because she wasn't sure how comfortable Cheryl was with that; she was also aware that most people thought her girlfriend was straight, so she wasn't going to be the one to  _out_ her.

* * *

"How was your day?" 

"I— it was fine."

Toni stared her in disbelief, but said nothing more as the redhead twisted her keys in the car, starting up the cherry red convertible. They sat in silence as Cheryl pulled her car out of the parking lot, getting on to the road. Toni analyzed the other girl's face; clearly, she was dealing with something— likely, what those boys were saying. Cheryl wasn't one to let a few rumors bring her down usually, but Toni understood that this was bigger than most of the things people always said about her.

After Cheryl parked her car at Thistlehouse, Toni shifted in her seat, staring right at the redhead.

"We should talk about it, Cher." 

"Talk about  _what_?"

Toni tilted her head to the side, "I know you're upset about what those guys were saying... but you have to know, their words are meaningless." 

"T.T., I am  _not_ upset about it."

The Serpent sighed, "Maybe people are starting to pick up on us, I don't know... but it doesn't matter if they suspect anything, okay? There's no pressure to tell people about us."

Cheryl raised her eyebrows, "What makes you think I don't want to tell people about us?"

She didn't have an answer for that, actually. Maybe it was just because she was Cheryl Blossom and she had a reputation around here— and that reputation previously hadn't included being anything other than straight. Toni had just assumed that Cheryl wouldn't want other people to know.

"If we tell people, they're gonna know you're not..." she bit her lip. "It's not a big deal to me 'cause most people don't give a damn what the Serpents do, plus the people who  _do_ know me already know that I'm, y'know, into both." 

Cheryl smiled.

"Oh, T.T., I will admit that it bothered me at first, but not anymore," the redhead shook her head. "I pondered it in class today. Me from the past would be greatly alarmed because  _I_ couldn't even accept it, but now I do, so... I date who I want. They have no say in it."

Toni grinned, "Really?"

"Yes, really," she nodded. "Besides, what reason would I have to not flaunt this  _angel_ of a face around school?" 

She reached forward, rubbing her fingertips down Toni's chiseled jawline. She was fucking perfect; Cheryl would never be able to get over that. Leaning in, she pressed the smallest of a kiss against Toni's cheek while bringing one of her hands up to the other cheek, stroking it gently.

Toni wondered if the redhead was serious about this because, quite honestly, it felt like a dream that wouldn't happen. How many times had she held back her desire to kiss or touch her in public all out of worry for Cheryl? 

Also, it definitely wouldn't hurt that she could  _shove it_ to all those guys who constantly hit on or talked about the redhead's looks. It would be quite an exciting feat to throw them all off, but Toni wasn't sure it would actually happen, even with what Cheryl said. It was easier said than done, that was for sure.

* * *

 

Sitting there in Mr. Bennett's class, scribbling away at her binder paper during "free time" that he had allotted to brainstorming a take-home essay, sat Toni Topaz. She usually found herself distracted during independent work time in his class, as she was much more of an "I can just do it all when school is over" type of person. It also didn't help that this perfect redhead was sitting  _right_ next to her since the moment she enrolled in this English class.

Most of the time, Cheryl was apparently too engrossed in her assignment to do anything else, making free time a lot less fun for the Serpent. Today, however, was a different day from the usual.

Cheryl Blossom looked up from her almost-empty binder paper, containing only about two sentences of work completed, eyes locking on the pink-haired girl sitting next to her. Immediately feeling the redhead's gaze, she turned her her head, cocking it to the side curiously.

"I am  _so_ bored with this." 

"Tell me about it..." the Serpent chuckled bitterly.

Toni supposed that was all— it was just a fun little conversation because Cheryl was bored and wanted a break from doing her work.

But no, that was definitely not  _all_ ; Cheryl, for whatever reason, decided to place one of her hands on the Serpent's thigh, while the other found its way around Toni's neck, clinging on to one of her shoulders. And to top it all off: she brought her head down to rest on the Serpent's other shoulder. Toni's lips parted, stunned by the gesture, but oddly comforted by it as well. She glanced over at Mr. Bennett's desk, wondering if he was even going to  _comment_ on this big of a distraction going on in his own classroom, but apparently, he was far too in his own world, clicking away on his desktop computer.

"What are you up to today, T.T.? While I should probably be working on my essay at home, I would much rather spend the day with you," Cheryl smiled, her chin still buried in Toni's shoulder. "Perhaps... Pop's? Or we could go somewhere else to eat, if you like."

"Ugh, I  _want_ to, but I can't... not today," Toni sighed. "I was actually thinking of going in to the Wyrm today to get my job back. I quit tending the bar when I switched to RHS 'cause I wanted to focus on school, but getting some money could be useful. I'm almost out of my savings from the last time I worked there, so... it's about time I get back to work."

"If funds aren't sufficient, I can happily provide for you—" 

"Cher,  _no_ ," Toni immediately rejected. "That's so sweet, but... you've already helped me out way more than enough by giving me a place to crash. I've gotta start earning for myself again." 

Cheryl was defeated, accepting it and nodding her head. While she would happily supply money from her evil Daddy's trust to her girlfriend, she understood that Toni didn't want to have everything handed to her. She admired that drive in her, wondering if it would push her far enough to try for a stable life in the future, away from the Serpents. But she tried to brush the thought off; she didn't want to get her hopes up. Toni would never leave the Serpents behind.

They talked for the rest of the period, much lighter conversations flowing. Toni was just happy that they  _were_ talking. Since they started dating, she definitely got some attention from Cheryl during school hours, but it was never this heavy. Right now, it felt like Cheryl was unapologetic about showing affection, unbothered by potentially judgmental people surrounding them. 

In the midst of a mild debate about which type of music was the best— Toni was dead-set on alternative and indie, but Cheryl wouldn't have it any other way than R&B or pop— the bell rang, students already shuffling in their seats to get out of the classroom. Toni shoved her blank binder paper into her bag while Cheryl carefully hooked hers into the rings of her binder. 

Mr. Bennett practically hopped out of his chair, scurrying to the front of the classroom to get one last message to his students in: "Essays are due  _Monday_. Don't procrastinate, kids! Tomorrow's your last work day in class; the rest has to be done at home!"

Most kids barely bothered listening; half of them shoving their things into their bags as quickly as possible, while the other already had their bags packed several minutes before the bell had even rung. 

Cheryl followed her girlfriend out the door; as they started walking toward Toni's locker, the redhead, surprisingly, caught the Serpent's hand in her own. Toni was completely startled by the action, but laced her fingers with Cheryl's.

Admittedly, Cheryl was slightly nervous about doing this. She was sure that there would be people lurking around and watching, forming all sorts of unwanted opinions on why she was holding this Serpent girl's hand. But she fought off the thoughts, her grip on Toni's hand remaining firm. And hand-in-hand, they found their way to Toni's locker.

"Ugh, I'm  _so_ behind on my essay," Toni complained, her hand finally releasing the redhead's, making its way to the lock, rotating her combination into the dial. 

"Trust me, I'm not much ahead of you on it," Cheryl chuckled.

As Toni pulled out her history textbook, which brushed against some other thing laying on the bottom of her locker. A manila folder plummeted to the school's floor, glossy photographs slipping out of it once the impact with the floor occurred. Cheryl raised her eyebrows at the sight.

" _Crap_ ," Toni muttered to herself in frustration, shuffling to shove her history textbook into her bag.

Before she could crouch down to the floor to pick the folder and photographs up, Cheryl did just that.

"What is this, T.T.?" she asked curiously, collecting the photographs and pushing them back into the manila folder before picking it up.

"Oh, those? They're just some photos I took," Toni shrugged it off. "Didn't I tell you that I was into photography?"

"Yes, you did mention it before once, but..." Cheryl pressed her lips together. "It slipped my mind. You've never mentioned going out to take photos." 

The redhead popped the folder open, scanning through the wide collection of developed photos inside. They were of remarkable quality— most of them seemed to be capturing Serpent life. Cheryl could tell that a lot of them had been taken on the South Side.

"Uh, well... I took these before you and I... you know," she explained. "I haven't taken anything in a while, actually."

That response stunned her.

"And why's that?" Cheryl asked, unable to fathom why such an excellent photographer would simply...  _stop_ photographing. "These are  _gorgeous_ , T.T. I had no idea that you were so talented at this. I thought it was just a small hobby of yours, but no— you're a true talent, nothing less."

Toni laughed bashfully.

"Stop it, Cher. You're just saying that because as my girlfriend, you have to," Toni grinned playfully.

"Completely untrue, and I'm offended that you even make me out to be such a person," Cheryl shut the folder, handing it back to the Serpent. "If you had no talent, I would not hesitate to let you know." 

Toni raised her eyebrows, "Oh, really? So, if I were  _totally_ passionate about something and I  _loved_ doing it, but I sucked ass at it, you'd crush my dreams and break my heart by telling me how bad I am?" 

And as Cheryl stared at that adorable face, the answer was quite evident. There was no way. 

"All right, perhaps if you were truly that passionate, I would stay silent. But I certainly wouldn't praise you for it," Cheryl told her. "Now, seriously, why would you stop taking photos if you're so talented?" 

Toni sighed, shutting her locker. "You want the truth, Cher? I don't have a camera anymore. I brought it with me to the Wyrm one night and the Ghoulies busted in, destroyed a bunch of shit, and my camera happened to be one of those things."

Cheryl blinked, clearly dissatisfied with that response. She wouldn't have it— the reason Toni couldn't take photos anymore was because some stupid brutes decided to destroy her camera? It was outrageous and Cheryl hated every part of it. She didn't want Toni to give up something like photography.

"It's fine, though," Toni assured her. "I'm not quitting forever... just until I get back on my feet. I'm gonna start working at the Wyrm again, so I'll be getting some cash and eventually I'll have enough to get another camera. I just hope I can do it before the deadline for this photography contest that I wanna enter."

Countless shifts. Cheryl was sure it would take  _countless shifts_ at the Whyte Wyrm to earn enough to by a camera of at least decent quality. 

"A contest, you say?"

"Yeah, you have to win on a local level with your school before getting any further, but... I was gonna try. I'll probably just send in the photos I've already taken, though."

"Well, at least you're entering," Cheryl said, sighing. "I'll be protesting if you don't take home first prize, I assure you." 

Toni chuckled, "I wouldn't bet on anything. There are a lot of really great photographers."

"Yes, and _you_ happen to be one of them." 

The Serpent rolled her eyes playfully, "Have I ever told you that I'm crazy about you, Bombshell?"

The redhead smirked, placing her hands on Toni's shoulders.

"You may have mentioned it a few times, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to hear it again."

"Well, I'm crazy about you, Bombshell," Toni grinned, holding Cheryl's waist as they mutually leaned down, their lips pressing together. 

And from there, it went on. Their mouths moved together, suctioning quietly repeatedly, going on for a good twenty seconds before they finally pulled away from each other. Dazed after what just happened, Toni almost stumbled back from her girlfriend, seeing stars in her eyes. Red lipstick was amusingly smothered around her mouth now, but she wasn't going to complain... at  _all_.

That  _just happened_. They really kissed— and kissed for a long damn time— in front of everyone in the hallway of Riverdale High School. Toni was surprised that Cheryl went as far as an intense public display of affection like that; she had assumed it would be limited to the small touches she got in their English class and the wonderful hand-holding. But, no: Cheryl Blossom seemed to be going all out. 

"Cher, are you okay with that?" 

Cheryl's lips just curved into a smile. She was beyond sure that word would be traveling all around the school that she had just sucked face with a girl, but at this point, her nerves had been entirely calmed. She was content with that. People were going to say what they wanted to say about it, but that wouldn't change her happiness. And she was  _damn_ happy right now.

"Oh, T.T., don't you see? If anyone has a problem with this, that's simply on them," the redhead replied cheerfully. "It certainly isn't  _my_ problem. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't want to."

"Well, I'm happy that you did." 

"As am I," Cheryl told her, a devious smile appearing on her face. " _But_ , you do have a little something... all over."  

Toni rolled her eyes, "Yeah? Whose fault is that?" 

"Um, yours, I assume. You just couldn't keep your hands off of me, could you?"

"You're right about that," Toni admitted, chuckling as she rubbed her hand all over her mouth to get the red lipstick off.

 


	14. Chapter 14

"Where's  _Red_ , huh?"

Sweet Pea sat back in their booth at Pop's, laying his head against the wall as he eyed the pink-haired girl sitting across from him.

"Cheryl? She's leading Vixens practice right now," Toni explained as she twirled around with the straw placed inside of her chocolate milkshake. She chuckled before adding, "She said they've been getting behind on their routines for the next basketball game because  _I'm_ stealing her away far too often."

"Well, you kinda are. Or... maybe  _she's_ stealing you away, I dunno," Fangs shrugged his shoulders. 

Sweet Pea rolled his eyes, chuckling, "What he means is that we've barely seen you much except for Serpent meetings and when you stop by the Wyrm." 

"Yeah, I know, but I don't exactly live on the South Side anymore," she chuckled.

" _Live_? Oh, so it's official?" Sweet Pea grinned. "You've moved in?"

"Not like... permanently. I told you that I've been staying with her. She's got a big-ass house and my uncle's totally shut me out of his trailer, so..." Toni shrugged her shoulders. "But as soon as I get things in order again, I'll move out."

"Good, 'cause we've missed you, Tiny," Fangs said, popping a fry into his mouth. "And it's no fair if you get to live in a big-ass house... I'm jealous as hell."

Toni laughed, shaking her head.

"I've missed you guys, too," she assured them. "But I should definitely start seeing you guys more since I'm tending the bar at the Wyrm again. I got my old job back and my first day's tomorrow." 

"Sweet!" Fangs exclaimed. "Check's on you today, then?"

Toni rolled her eyes, "Hell no. Don't even try it— we're splitting."

Fangs pouted at her statement, but grabbed a handful of fries nonetheless, chucking them into his mouth. 

" _Sooo,_ " Sweet Pea started. "Have you talked to Jughead since... you know?"

"Uh, excuse me, but what exactly are we talking about?" Fangs asked cluelessly.

"Remember when Topaz and her girl were fighting about  Jones or whatever?" Sweet Pea asked, to which Fangs nodded his head. "Yeah, well, little Jones made it even worse 'cause he tried to kiss Toni." 

Fangs gasped exaggeratedly, "He did  _what_?"

Toni sighed, "C'mon, guys, don't make a big deal out of it. Cheryl and I moved past it, happily... but Sweets, the answer to your question is...  _no_ , we haven't. I mean, I've seen him around school and at Serpent stuff, but we haven't spoken. And we definitely haven't talked about what happened. God, it sucks, though... I feel like we can't even be friends anymore because of this, and I don't want it to be that way." 

Sweet Pea raised his eyebrows, "Jug's a big boy. He'll get over his little crush eventually." 

"I don't even think he likes me like that, honestly," Toni shrugged her shoulders. "He was probably just frustrated with his break-up with Betty and all." 

The two boys nodded their heads, taking Toni's word for it. Toni let out a small sigh before pulling her milkshake glass closer to her, taking a long sip of it. The sweet chocolate taste on her tongue, however, soured at the unsightly sight that stepped into Pop's, dressed in a baby blue button-up and black dress pants. There he was with a sickeningly sweet smile as he greeted the employees around the diner before stepping in line to order. 

 _Nick St. Clair_.

Fucking Nick St. Clair. 

The last time she had seen him was at Veronica's party at Pembrooke, and back then, she had thought of him as nothing more than a sleazy high school guy in search of a quick hook-up, as he had tried a few flirtatious numbers on her. But no, he was far more than that, which she had sadly only discovered  _after_ their encounter at the party. He had tried to hurt Cheryl— in fact, he  _had_ hurt her in many emotional ways, probably scarring her permanently. She could only try to imagine the pain he had put Cheryl through. And, for that, she fucking hated his guts.

Toni's eyes refused to leave him. She continuously glared at him while Fangs and Sweet Pea decided to converse about something that Toni couldn't care less about in the moment. Nick finally received his order of a burger, fries, and a milkshake before sliding into a booth by himself. 

She wondered if he had done it before— if he had tried to hurt other girls in the past, even before Cheryl. Maybe even more girls after Cheryl—  _probably_  more girls after Cheryl. But no matter what the truth was, it was more than enough that he had even tried to lay a finger on  _Cheryl_. She wished she could have been there that night with Veronica and Josie to beat the crap out of him. And honestly, after hearing all the horrible things he had said to Cheryl at Veronica's party, she wished she had beat the crap out of him  _that_ night.

With anger boiling inside of her, she impulsively stood up where she was sitting. Fangs and Sweet Pea's eyes shot to her, completely startled. Their eyes were wide.

"Topaz, what the hell are you doing?" Sweet Pea asked. "Sit down." 

"I wish I could, Sweets, but I can't," she shook her head. 

She turned, slipping out of the booth. 

" _Hey_!" Sweet Pea yelled, getting up as well. "Topaz, I know that look on your face. You're  _pissed_ and I've got no idea why, but I can tell you are. And I can also tell that it  _can't_ be good, so you've gotta sit down before you do something that you regret." 

"This is important," she assured him. "I have to take care of this."

Before he could ask another question, Toni had stormed over to the booth where Nick was sitting. He was holding his burger, chewing into it, when he finally noticed the pink-haired girl staring at him. He set his burger down, wiping his hands with a napkin on his table. 

"Uh, hey?" he blinked a few times. "Can I help you with something? Am I supposed to know you?" 

She smirked a little, "You might not know me, but I definitely know you." 

He thought for a moment before it came to him: "Wait, I  _do_ know you. I saw you at that party a while back, didn't I? Veronica Lodge's?" 

"Yeah, you did," she nodded. "You also saw Cheryl Blossom that night, didn't you?" 

He arched his eyebrows, "I dunno, maybe? I can't recall. Why?" 

She scoffed, "You  _know_ why, Nick." 

"What the hell is this?" he asked, chuckling. "You gotta give me some more information, I'm lost as hell." 

She nodded her head: "You want more information? Well, how's this? You're a  _piece of shit_ and a  _rapist_." 

Now frustrated, Nick rolled his eyes. 

"Look, I wouldn't be surprised if Cheryl misinformed you of what  _really_ went down that night, but I'll tell you the truth," he sighed. Her eye twitched, and her hand curled into a fist, her nails digging into her palm out of anger. "She was really into me at this party, got super wasted and was  _all over_ me. I didn't know what to do, so I took her to my room and let her lay down on the bed when those two girls came in and just  _assumed_ a bunch of things about what was happening and started beating the shit out of me. You gotta know the full story before you judge—"

Without thinking too hard, the fury inside of her pushed Toni to take her already-clenched fist and slam it right into Nick's nose; the faint sound of cracking hit Toni's ears. _Fuck_. She knew she fucked up, even if all she had wanted to do before was beat the hell out of him. 

As she unclenched her fist, she felt a pulsating ache in her knuckles. However, it quickly faded when she glanced up and saw the wincing look of pain on Nick St. Clair's face. She knew she had done  _that_ to him, which was more than enough to override any sort of pain she had felt.

"What the  _fuck_!?" he cried out, his hand instantly cradling his nose. "You stupid  _bitch_ , what the hell was that for?"

"Cheryl Blossom is fucking important to me," she growled. "You don't get to drug her and try to rape her and just get away with all of it, lying and saying that she was just drunk and into you and that was it. You come near her ever again and I will break every part of your body— not just your nose. Got it?" 

All eyes in Pop's were on the scene, including Fangs and Sweet Pea, who were watching with wide eyes and a whole lot of fear. She turned away from the table, speeding out the doors of Pop's. Fangs and Sweet Pea got up from their booth, abandoning their food and quickly following Toni from behind. They sped up their walking to catch up to her in the parking lot.

" _Toni_!" Sweet Pea yelled.

"What?" she rolled her eyes, finally stopping to turn around and face them.

"What the hell did you just do?" he asked incredulously. "Why did you punch that dude, huh?"

She shrugged, "He hurt Cheryl, Sweets. He tried to do a very bad thing to her." 

Sweet Pea decided that whatever happened before wasn't the problem, rather what was happening  _now_. He was sure that Toni had her reasons for doing what she did and he didn't have to know all of them. 

"Okay, fine. But you know South Siders are already on shaky grounds with the North Siders," he reminded her. "Almost everybody wants us out of Riverdale High and this is just another reason for them to hate us." 

" _Let them_." 

"Your fearless attitude is cool when we're smashing brass knuckles into the Ghoulies, but that guy was some rich white dude, Topaz!" he told her. "What if he presses charges or something? How the hell are you gonna pay that off?" 

"I don't know, Sweets," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "You're always up for a good fight. What happened?"

"That's only when it's for the sake of the Serpents."

"Well, this time, it's for the sake of  _Cheryl_ ," she told him. "And to  _me_ , that's just as important."

"As important as the _Serpents_?" Sweet Pea raised his eyebrows. "You're insane."

"It's not insane," she shook her head. 

"Okay, Topaz, I know you're super into this girl, but you know it's not forever," he said bitterly. "I like her and I think you guys are cool together, but she's a damn North Sider. What happens when she wants to go to college off in another state— hell, another  _country_ , even, and she wants to start her real life. She's not gonna be tied down to a Serpent forever." 

"You don't know anything about us, Sweets," she hissed. 

"Fine, maybe I don't. But this is your first real relationship and I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself," he warned. "All I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't mess your life up for someone else." 

Her head was bugging her to fire back that Cheryl wasn't just  _someone else_ , but all she did was press her lips together and stare at Sweet Pea, who was right beside a completely mute Fangs who clearly wanted to avoid participating in this. Toni knew that Sweet Pea wasn't being irrational; his feelings were understandable. 

Cheryl was special to Toni. That was something that was undeniable and something that the Serpent had learned rather quickly after falling fast and hard for the redhead. But even as crazy as she was for the other girl, being in this new relationship hadn't made her into some hopeless romantic who believed in fairytale endings. From everything she had seen on the South Side, Toni was painfully aware that happy endings weren't as common as people liked to believe they were. 

And she knew how unlikely it was for the perfect girl with so much potential in life to end up with the rugged, poor, worn-down gang member from the South Side. Maybe it was a popular trope in the movies and television shows, but maybe not so much in real life. 

The chances of things not working out between them were high— Toni was sadly aware of that, but that also didn't mean that she was going to give up on one of the best things that had come into her life. Cheryl was like a beacon of light in her life, bringing in even the smallest amount of hope when Toni didn't normally have very much. So, even if the chances were slim that they would have a fairytale ending, she was willing to take them. If things didn't work out in the end, Toni was certain that she wouldn't regret a single second of what they had. Every moment with Cheryl was worth it to her.

"I made a bad decision," Toni nodded her head, looking at Sweet Pea with guilt. "I shouldn't have handled things like that— I know. But for a bad thing, it felt so damn good."

Sweet Pea huffed, "You were always the level-headed one between the three of us. What the hell happened to you, Topaz?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I lost my cool." 

* * *

"God, T.T., you did  _not_ need to do that."

"Trust me,  _I know_ ," Toni huffed out, laying her head back against the living room couch. "I already got enough of a lecture from  _Sweet Pea_ , and _that's_ saying something."

A crooked smile appeared on Cheryl's lips, her thumb stroking the skin on Toni's arm. 

"It  _was_ quite sweet, however, that you wanted to defend me." 

Toni paused for a moment, leaning forward so that she could tuck a strand of red hair behind Cheryl's right ear.

" _Always_ ," she breathed out. "Besides, I had the time of my life seeing that dumb-ass in pain. He deserved it for what he did to you, Cher. He's disgusting." 

"If there's anyone who hates him more than you do, it's me," Cheryl chuckled bitterly before adjusting, resting her head down on Toni's shoulder. "I just... I don't want him trying to hurt you for punching him today."

"What's he gonna do? Hit me back?" Toni joked lightheartedly. "I don't know if you forgot, Bombshell, but I'm kinda in a gang. And I'm pretty sure hypermasculine guys like him don't believe in hitting girls, anyway."

"Worse than hitting, T.T.," she sighed. "The St. Clairs are  _very_ powerful, rich people here in Riverdale. I don't want him to use his family's influence to hurt you or any of your Serpent friends." 

"He can hurt me all he wants, as long as he stays away from you," Toni told her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. 

And then, Cheryl thought about it again— that damned four-letter word:  _love_. Through her beating heart, she was growing even more certain that she  _loved_ the girl whose shoulder she was leaning upon. The same warmth lingered through her, and she swore that she could just sit there, resting on Toni, for as long as she had because with her, even the silence was wonderful. She contemplated saying it again, spilling all these strong feelings she had been thinking about for a while now, but tried to shake it away again.

Her greatest fear at the moment was that Toni wouldn't be ready to say it back. And for Cheryl, that kind of situation would devastate her heart. After struggling with opening her heart up to someone and falling for them, she didn't know if she would be able to recover if Toni didn't love her back. She wasn't ready for them to come crashing down— not any time soon, at least. Maybe not  _ever_.

* * *

Days later, the chatter about Cheryl and Toni's relationship— more specifically, that  _the_ Cheryl Blossom was  _not_ straight— had finally started to die down. People still talked about it, but it was far less of a hot topic amongst the students at Riverdale High School. Instead, apparently word had gotten around the school about Jughead and Betty's break-up. Their break-up wasn't big news, though; people, rather, chose to heavily discuss whether or not Veronica Lodge and Archie Andrews were headed to Splitsville because of some rumor of Archie's  _illicit affair_ with Betty Cooper.

Toni much preferred hearing people talk about their love-square drama than how hot her girlfriend was or how  _shocking_ it was that she was dating a girl. It was easier on the ears, although Toni chose to ignore the gossip and not partake in it no matter what the topic of interest was. 

But one morning, the daily high school gossip was the last thing on Toni Topaz's mind as she arrived at school. Instead, it was  _money_.

" _Cheryl_!" 

"Oh, hello, Veronica," Cheryl smiled sweetly, turning to face the dark-haired girl who seemed frantic for whatever reason. "You seem worked up. Are the rumors about you and Archibald true?" 

"No— wait,  _what_?"

Cheryl laughed, "Have you not heard? People everywhere are saying that you two are in the process of breaking up. They think he has a little thing for my dear cousin Betty." 

Veronica rolled her eyes at the thought of these random students enjoying the drama they were creating. She wondered who even thought to come up with such things and spread them around for no reason.

"No, Archie and I are  _not_ breaking up," she shook her head. "We're  _fine_ and he's  _not_ interested in Betty. Do people even know that  _she's_ the one who tried to kiss  _my_ boyfriend? _God_!"

"Wow, this seems to be getting to you a lot more than it should be. Are you  _sure_ you and Archie are okay?" Cheryl half-joked.

Veronica rolled her eyes again, this time at Cheryl's comment.

"Seriously, we aren't breaking up. It's just...  _exasperating_ to deal with these people on top of this stupid...  _fight_ I'm in with Betty," she sighed. "Anyway— this isn't why I came to talk to you, anyway. I actually wanted to let you know that I saw your normally-lovely girl looking  _not_ so lovely this morning."

Cheryl raised her eyebrows, "What are you insinuating? That she doesn't look good today? Because, quite honestly, I just don't believe that's possible."

Veronica just  _had_ to roll her eyes  _again_.

"Not what a meant," she told the redhead. "She seemed  _upset_. Of course I don't think she looks bad, Cheryl. Toni Topaz could, for lack of a better term,  _get_ _it_."

Cheryl scowled, "First of all, back off. Clearly, she's taken. Second of all, you might as well admit that your apparent impending break-up with Archie is about something else that isn't quite Betty Cooper. Third of all, where is she? Because I need to see her  _now_." 

"I'll ignore your first two points, especially the second one. I saw her sitting outside by the parking lot." 

With that said, Cheryl raced out of the hallway and into the parking lot where, just as Veronica had claimed, a seemingly distraught Toni Topaz was sitting, crouched by the brick frame of the school. Cheryl blinked a few times, taking slow steps towards the Serpent, then joining her by crouching down next to her.

"T.T.? What are you doing out here?" Cheryl asked, instinctively putting a protective hand on her arm.

"Nothing... just not in the mood for school today." 

Cheryl sighed, "Does this have something to do with the reason that you didn't want to carpool to school today?"

Toni looked up, nodding her head.

"This morning, I got a text," she confessed. "From Nick St. Clair."

" _What_?" Cheryl's mouth widened. "What did he want?"

"To meet at Pop's before school," Toni replied, shifting so that she was looking right at the redhead. "So, I took my motorcycle to school today 'cause I needed to go to Pop's."

Cheryl frowned, "Why didn't you tell me? I could have come with you." 

"That's  _why_ I didn't tell you, Cher," the Serpent let out a sigh. "I knew you'd wanna come with. I didn't want you to have to see him after what he put you through, firstly. But also, I had a strong feeling that I knew why he wanted to meet up with me. And I knew you'd wanna handle it if I told you before  _I_ handled it."

The redhead blinked several times.

"What did he want, T.T.?" 

She scoffed, "Money. What else?" 

"Did you  _give_ him money?" 

"I had to," Toni admitted. "As I expected, he told me that he was considering pressing charges for the whole... punching thing, and that there were plenty of eye-witnesses that were willing to speak up if he did. He said he could make my life a lot worse, but he would give me a way out if I paid him off." 

"So, you... paid him off," Cheryl finished, nodding. "I understand, but he already  _has_ money— a lot. His price was probably high. How in the world did you manage to pay it off?" 

"Guess he made an exception because he somehow found out that I'm from the South Side," Toni shrugged her shoulders. "It wasn't a lot of money to him, but it definitely was enough to put a dent in my pockets. I lost everything I've made at the Wyrm so far since I got my job back, plus most of what I saved up from working there before." 

" _Toni_ , you should have let me handle it," Cheryl told her. "You shouldn't have had to pay him all of that. If you had just told me, I could have—"

"No, Cher. I don't want you to take care of every expense that I have," Toni sighed. "It's gonna be a while before I make back what I had, but... I'll just have to get there again."

"What about getting a new camera?" Cheryl asked sadly. "What about entering the contest?"

Toni shrugged, "I don't think it's possible, but that's fine. I just wanna get back to how much I had before. I'll probably take extra shifts at the Wyrm."

Cheryl was unsure of what to do and  _how_ to support her through this. She had never quite experienced major financial stress; the worst she had faced was after her father's suicide, where she wondered how the hell her family was going to make any money now that her family syrup business had fallen apart after its secret drug cartel operation was exposed alongside her father's responsibility for her brother's death. But after the will reading, Cheryl was provided with a surplus of funds that could comfortably get her through school and probably much further, all without working a minute. After all, she was the sole heir to the Blossom wealth since Jason wasn't around.

She wished that Toni had never punched Nick St. Clair— things would be so much better that way. She wished that she could go back in time to when Toni made that poor choice and tell her that a guy like Nick simply wasn't worth it. Had Cheryl known what was to occur following the incident, she would have told her a million times that he just wasn't worth losing so much over. 

She kept rubbing Toni's arm, trying to comfort her as best she could.

"Whatever you need, T.T., I'm here for you," the redhead assured her girlfriend, then leaning down to place a gentle kiss to her cheek.

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so, so sorry for the long wait, guys. College has been kicking my ass and I'm extremely busy (in fact, I probably shouldn't even have taken the time to write this instead of studying lmao). Updates are probably still going to be slow (hopefully not as slow as this one), but I'll try harder. Thank you for your patience and I hope that you guys are still interested in reading!

* * *

Cheryl hadn't been fond of the whole situation with Nick and Toni since it started. 

Although she appreciated that Toni was looking out for her and wanted to make Nick pay once more for what he did— the horrors of  _that_ night had followed her since, and the words he had said to her at Veronica's party had stung like hell— the outcomes made it far from a positive thing. 

Of course, Nick, who  _already_ happened to come from a wealthy and powerful family, was even greedier than imaginable. Not only did he feel that he was so entitled to sex that he could just  _get_ it from any girl he pleased, as demonstrated through Cheryl, he also wasn't satisfied with the excessive money he already had. He was so greedy that he had to blackmail Toni and take the small amount of money she had worked hard to earn with long nights at the Whyte Wyrm, surrounded by drunk South Siders. 

And Toni's decision combined with Nick's greediness had brought more than just sadness to Cheryl's heart because she had to see her girlfriend suffer; it had cost her precious  _time_ with her girlfriend.

The severe dent that Nick's money demands had put in Toni's wallet led the Serpent to take on many more shifts at the Whyte Wyrm than usual, with her sometimes even staying there later than usual to work overtime. Cheryl was  _just_ starting to get used to the loss of time with Toni since she got her job back at the Wyrm, but now she had to deal with even  _more_ lost time. It was painful, really...

Cheryl didn't mean to be selfish; it was just a part of who she was. She wanted Toni all to herself and sometimes it got hard to share her with the Serpents... and now: her job at the Wyrm. Of course, she completely understood Toni's situation and felt quite horrible that she had to work this hard to keep up basic finances. Honestly, if Toni would just let her, Cheryl would write one large check from all the money she had inherited from her father and give it to the Serpent. But obviously, there was no chance in hell that Toni was going to accept anything like that.

At this point, Cheryl had gotten used to the sound of shuffling coming from downstairs during the early AM hours. Although their living situation was "temporary" in Toni's eyes, Cheryl had given her a spare house key anyway; that decision was certainly for the best, as Toni needed to let herself in every single night after coming to Thistlehouse after a late shift at the Wyrm.

One night, Toni slowly climbed up the stairs of Thistlehouse, sighing quietly as she made her way to Cheryl's bedroom. She had been staring at the floor the whole way up, mind fumbling around with random thoughts, so she was caught off-guard when she was hit by bright lights in the bedroom and one Cheryl Blossom sitting upright on her large bed, body not even covered by the blankets. She was simply in her silk red robe, waiting patiently. 

" _Cheryl_?" Toni's eyes were wide as she stopped in the doorway of the bedroom. "You're still up?" 

The Serpent glanced at the clock on the redhead's nightstand, alarmed to discover that it read  _3:06 AM_ in bright red numbers and letters. Toni had grown accustomed to the redhead being asleep by the time she arrived at Thistlehouse because she usually finished her shifts extremely late in the night. There was the off-chance that she got home early in the night, but she was usually grabbing whatever extra shifts that she could to get some extra cash.

" _Yes_ , and I have been  _waiting_ for you, so you best not make me wait much longer, T.T." 

Toni blinked several times, trying to process it. She supposed it wasn't too irrational— it was a Friday night, so there was no school tomorrow. No harm done in staying up, right? And she certainly had missed seeing Cheryl so often as well; it felt like it had been forever since they had gotten a good moment together—

"Holy fuck," Toni cursed under her breath. 

Cheryl's hands had found their way to the tie on her silk robe, toying around with it in an  _extremely_ teasing fashion that occasionally exposed a little too much...

"You're really wearing nothing under that, aren't you, Bombshell?" 

The redhead just smirked: "I suppose you can come here and find out." 

 _That_ was enough to wake Toni up after her long shift at the Wyrm. She dropped her bag by the bedroom door before taking slow, lingering steps towards the bed until she finally reached it, placing her hands on Cheryl's sides, feeling the soft silk of her robe. 

She then brought one of her hands up to Cheryl's chin, pushing it up so that it could meet her lips. Their lips brushed gently before finally pressing together, the soft, buttery sensation of their mouths colliding proving to be overwhelming for the both of them. Toni climbed on to the bed with their lips still connected, pulling herself on to Cheryl's lap. 

Pulling back, Cheryl teased, "T.T., if you want to know what's under this, why don't you go searching for answers?" 

"I happen to be  _very_ good at finding stuff," Toni grinned before her hands gripped the tie of the robe. 

The Serpent pulled at the tie in one swift gesture, undoing the knot completely, exposing a middle line of creamy skin down the center of Cheryl's body. Toni licked her lips as she pushed the robe off of the redhead, letting it fall on to the bed. 

And there it was— every damn inch of Cheryl's perfect body, completely exposed and right there for Toni's eyes only. She could barely think of where to begin and what to touch; she wanted to touch everything all at once. The racing in her heart never died, no matter how many times they did this. 

"Fuck, Cher," Toni muttered, shaking her head as she took it all in. "How are you so damn perfect? Seriously... I feel like I'm dreaming every time I look at you and I don't ever wanna wake up from  _this_ dream." 

"Lucky for you, it happens to be reality." 

Toni chuckled, shaking her head again. She let her hand rest on Cheryl's shoulder.

"I've missed you so much lately," she sighed. "I wish I could just quit working at the Wyrm so I could see you all day." 

"Perhaps we haven't had time recently, but..." the redhead's teeth sank into her own pink lips. "We certainly do have time right now." 

"Yeah, we do," Toni grinned. "We better make the most of it." 

With that said, Toni leaned back in and kissed the redhead. As their mouths moved together, Cheryl's hands crawled up underneath Toni's leather Serpent jacket. In one swift motion, she pushed the jacket off of the Serpent's body, letting it fall to the floor of her bedroom. 

The redhead worked rapidly and tirelessly to bring the Serpent down to her level, discarding each piece of clothing until she was left in only what was underneath. Her hands found the clasp of Toni's black bra, undoing it and dropping it down. She rested her hand on Toni's back, pulling her body down so that her mouth could easily reach her breasts. She ran her tongue around her right nipple, closing in and sucking on it while her free hand massaged her left breast. Toni let out a jagged breath, gripping on to Cheryl's shoulders to steady herself. Cheryl then paid her left breast equal respect, swiping her tongue across the bud, gently sucking on it until—

Toni couldn't quite take waiting any longer. She hadn't seen her girl in  _way_ too long, so she was damn impatient. All those long nights at the Wyrm were hell, wiping down tables and glasses over time when she could have been here with  _all this_ — with  _Cheryl_. Nothing could beat that.

She pushed Cheryl down on the bed, letting her head fall back on the bed. They scooted upwards until her head was resting on the pillow. Immediately, Toni pressed her lips down on Cheryl's chest, kissing upwards, rubbing her lips against her collarbone, working up to her neck. She sucked on the skin, sliding her lips up to her jawline; she kept moving upwards until she reached Cheryl's perfect, kissable lips, pressing right down on them. Her hands were gently placed on Cheryl's neck, rubbing up and down, toying with her shoulder blades.

"You don't know how badly I've missed this—  _you_ ," Toni mumbled quietly between kisses. 

Pulling back, hands on Toni's cheeks, Cheryl smirked: "Then why don't you  _show_ me, T.T?" 

Toni just smirked back. That was  _exactly_ what she intended to do. She pressed another kiss to Cheryl's lips before dropping down, kissing down her body. Her tongue dragged between Cheryl's breasts, moving further down, kissing all over her stomach, her mouth threatening to go further south. Cheryl spread her legs apart, basically begging for Toni to continue. 

As soon as her head dipped between Cheryl's legs and her tongue ran against the surface, Cheryl's hand flew to Toni's head, gripping a handful of her soft pink hair while her other hand gripped down on the sheets. Toni's tongue kept moving, delving inside of her. Her hands rubbed up and down Cheryl's inner thigh, only further enhancing the fucking  _ecstasy_ Cheryl was in. 

She knew it right then— she had never felt this way with a guy or  _anyone_ for that matter. Granted, she had never allowed herself to go there with most of the other people in her life, but there was a  _reason_ she hadn't. It was because she had never wanted to so badly until she met Toni. And she wasn't talking about sex; she was talking about  _everything_. 

And fuck, Cheryl couldn't believe she was thinking so much about emotions while she was  _literally_ in the middle of having sex, but... she couldn't help it. Her emotions for Toni were so damn overwhelming that she couldn't control herself sometimes. And this was one of those times.

Fuck her mother for telling her that she was emotionally anorexic. Fuck her mother for telling her that the feelings she had for girls were  _deviant_. And fuck her mother for telling her that she didn't know what love was.

Because she  _did_. 

Reaching her climax, her breaths grew heavier and more irregular. Toni's tongue slowed its pace as she realized Cheryl was finishing off. She moved back upwards, bringing her body to level with Cheryl's. She simply smiled before pressing a kiss to Cheryl's forehead, pulling her in closer, and pulling the blanket over their bodies.

Cheryl blinked several times as she laid there, her body as close as could be to Toni's. Her head rested against Toni's chest, the sweetest warmth filling her body. She was even more sure of her feelings; she had fallen so damn hard for the Serpent that she could barely believe it. She loved her and she  _knew_ it. But she was still scared as hell about saying it aloud, and perhaps right after sex wasn't the right time to say it, not for the first time, at least. The last thing she wanted was the awkward silence as they were in bed... if Toni didn't feel as strongly about her.

Cheryl pulled back from her chest, moving up to kiss Toni. 

"Cher, you don't have to—"

Pulling back from the kiss, Cheryl tilted her head with a playful glare, "Is that what you think of me, T.T.? We have  _barely_ been able to see each other lately."

And Toni wasn't complaining. Sure, she had been tired right after coming back from work, but being with Cheryl woke her the hell up. The last thing she wanted to do right now was go to sleep when she had basically been  _dying_ without seeing the redhead enough.

Lifting the blanket up, Cheryl smirked as she brought her head down between Toni's legs.

* * *

"Has Nick bothered you at all since everything happened?" 

Toni shook her head, taking a bite of her sandwich. After a moment of silence, she looked up from her lunch at the redhead, clearly sensing a large amount of concern on her face. She set her food down on the cafeteria table.

"No. And it better stay that way— he better leave you alone for good, too. Next time, maybe I'll get all the Serpents to beat his ass up. Maybe that's what I should've done in the first place instead of paying up, actually."

"We don't want trouble. Not with the St. Clairs," Cheryl shook her head. "If they ever found out that the Serpents had something to do with hurting their precious son, I'm  _positive_ they'd do something to leave all the Serpents homeless."

"Well, good thing I didn't do that then, huh?" Toni chuckled. "But seriously, Cher, you don't have to worry about me. I'm fine."

"I do worry, though," Cheryl admitted sadly. "I hate to see you suffering so much. You have to work twice as hard to make up for what you lost... and I can't help but feel like I'm partly responsible—"

"You're  _not_!" Toni shook her head. "God, you're  _not_. Why would you think that?"

"Come on, T.T... I'm the reason you even know who Nick is," Cheryl said.

"And?" Toni raised her eyebrows. "Last I checked, you didn't make my fist go into his face. I  _made_ that choice. And sure, the consequences have been sucky as hell, I'd do it all over again if I could. That asshole had to be put in his place. Nobody gets to hurt you like that and walk away freely."

"I appreciate your... protectiveness," Cheryl chuckled, shaking her head, "but don't you  _dare_ ever do something so stupid again."

"Hmm... no promises," Toni grinned, earning a playful eye-roll from the redhead. "To be honest, when I'm with you, I kinda lose all brain function and do things that are stupid as hell." 

"So, it  _is_ my fault, then?" she smirked. 

"Maybe a little. You should stop being so..." the pink-haired girl ran her eyes up and down the redhead, biting her lip. "... _tempting_." 

"Well... any chance you can take a little break during your shift tonight at the Wyrm?" Cheryl bit her lip back, a flirtatious look seeping into her eyes, her voice dropping lower and raspier. "It'll be much easier than staying up late."

Toni frowned, "You know I want to, but... my boss would get mad that I'm slacking off, and I kind of need to be on my best behavior so I can ask for a raise. Hopefully, he'll be impressed that I've been working overtime and taking extra shifts."

"It certainly shows dedication, T.T... I just miss  _ma chérie_ is all," she sighed. "But no need to worry— I completely understand how difficult your situation is right now. All I want is for things to become better for you."

"And they  _will_ ," Toni assured her, reaching forward to take her hands and give them a gentle squeeze. "As soon as I get things back in order, I can drop the over-working. But... at least we can see each other at school, right?"

"Perhaps, but... I do need to start holding lunchtime Vixens rehearsals soon," Cheryl sighed. "We have a big game coming up soon." 

"Yeah, of course," she nodded her head. "I'll do my best to clear my schedule for the night of the game so I can come see you perform. I already know you'll be phenomenal, though."

"Oh, T.T..." Cheryl smiled brightly. "I know that as well, but... you flatter me anyway." 

Toni just chuckled before leaning in to peck the redhead's lips.

* * *

 

Back at the Whyte Wyrm that evening, Toni frowned as she rubbed down empty glasses with a wet rag. Being with Cheryl would be so much better than this, but what choice did she have? She was the one who made the stupid— yet worthwhile— decision to punch Nick St. Clair. 

Another uneventful day at work, she supposed; she'd just be passing the hours by so that she could get her check on payday. She set the glasses she cleaned down as a couple of guys took their seats on the barstools. She came up to them, offering a welcoming smile.

"Welcome to the Wyrm, boys. What can I get for ya?" she asked.

"Other than that  _fine ass_ of yours?" one of the guys, buzz-cut for hair and tattoos all over, asked with a sleazy grin. "I guess we'll just take a round of shots. Straight vodka." 

She simply rolled her eyes and said, "Coming right up."

She turned to the bar, grabbing the bottle of vodka and beginning to pour it into empty shot glasses. She was used to sleazy men like those guys coming into the Wyrm all the time. She had been hit on quite a few times, increasingly so once she started working as a bartender there. Guys at the Wyrm often time had even less morals than those at average bars. They were just rugged jackasses who would go to any lengths for sex.

"Enjoy," she smiled, serving them the round of shots, retreating to the other side of the bar, even with buzz-cut's eyes glued to her. 

There she saw none other than  _Jughead Jones_ sitting, looking as broody as ever. She stopped in her tracks, feeling some type of hesitation over this. They hadn't exactly had a normal conversation or hung out alone since everything went down. They had hung around in groups, especially at Serpent meetings, but never alone. 

"You know, that tatted dude with the buzz-cut has been staring at you nonstop since he and his buddies walked in," Jughead pointed out, trying his hardest to be casual— clearly.

"Oh— hey, Jug," she blinked a few times. "Yeah, I know... I just— I'm used to it at this point. Guys can be pretty gross. I just ignore it now."

"Guys  _can_ be pretty gross," Jughead nodded his head. "I would know. I've been a gross guy, too— to you." 

She pressed her lips together. He looked sad; she felt bad.

"Can I get you anything to drink, Jug?" she asked.

He nodded again, "I'll keep it light tonight. How 'bout a bottle of Corona?"

"Sure thing," she smiled weakly, grabbing a bottle from the bar and popping the top off. "I should probably get back to work now. Those glasses aren't going to clean themselves."

"Wait, Toni," he stopped her. "Need a hand? Grab me a rag and I can help you wipe some of those down. Could save you some time and I'm not really doing anything besides drinking a beer alone now, am I?"

"A little help couldn't hurt," she nodded, grabbing a spare rag from the back counter and tossing it to him, then grabbing a few more glasses that were yet to be wiped down. 

Jughead picked the rag up, chewing his lip as he started wiping down the first glass.

"So, are we allowed to have some conversation while cleaning?" he asked, looking up at her nervously.

"No rule against it... so I think it's fine," she joked. "I mean, but are we really going to have a conversation right now? We haven't exactly had a normal one of those in a long,  _long_ time..."

"I know," he sighed. "And that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. I feel like shit about everything— trust me. I just... I wanna be honest with you about what's been going through my head during the past few weeks, Toni." 

"Okay. Go for it."

"Where do I even begin?" he chuckled sadly. "I guess I'll start with my break-up; Betty trying to kiss Archie  _fucked_ my head up. Badly. Nothing hurts more than what you used to fear— but you finally thought you got over— actually happening. I was finally feeling secure that she didn't have feelings for him, but then  _that_ happened. And I do believe that she loves me and that she wants to be with me, but... she also loves Archie and I  _know_ that. She found me— the next best thing— after getting rejected by him in the first place. She loves me, but not just me. You don't just kiss someone out of impulse— I don't buy that one bit. She tried to kiss him because there's still something there... some feelings that she keeps buried away because he's Veronica's boyfriend and she doesn't want to fuck everything up."

Toni was aware of all of this. She knew the emotional number that Betty's attempted kiss on Archie had been doing to Jughead. That was old news. She stayed silent, waiting for something that would better explain all the fucked up shit that happened.

"I didn't just try to kiss you out of sadness over Betty. The first time we kissed—  _that_ was a rebound. My head was in a fucked up place at the time, so part of me was still devastated over Betty, but that wasn't all there was to it, Toni," he shook his head. "All those things I said weren't just because I was sad. Now that I've had a chance to clear my head, I know what I've been feeling..."

Fuck. This was exactly what she was hoping  _wasn't_ the case. She was hoping that it was all because he couldn't handle his break-up with Betty and was just looking for someone to be with during his heartbreak. She was hoping that all of the words he said were bullshit... that he didn't mean any of it.

"I do feel something for you," he admitted, setting the rag down on the table. "I'm sorry. I know you probably don't want to hear this— and I know you don't feel the same way, trust me. I know that you're with someone... I just... that's how  _I_ feel. And I'm going to try to get over it, I promise. I miss being your friend... so much."

" _Jug_ ," she sighed. "Why?"

"I can't help what I feel, Toni! What the hell do you want me to do about it? I can't just switch off my feelings all of a sudden," he said incredulously. "You don't have to worry about it. I'm not gonna be weird. I just wanted to let you know why I've been avoiding you. You're an amazing friend— you deserved an explanation." 

"Well... thank you for being honest with me, but... I don't know how to feel about this. What about Betty? What about everything you guys had?" she asked, confused.

"She was hiding her feelings for Archie. But turns out, she wasn't the only one in our relationship that was holding back feelings for somebody else," he confessed. "I've been feeling things for you for a while now... even when I was with her. I loved her— I did. I  _still_ love her and care for her deeply, but... I don't see us together anymore. It's over and it's  _been_ over for a long time."

She started to get frustrated now. What the hell was his problem? Did he think that this was going to make things any easier for her?

"Jug, what the hell do you want me to do with this information?" she demanded. "You know, I do appreciate your honesty, but... the more I think about it, the less that I think it was necessary to tell me all of this." 

"I already told you. I wanted to explain," he sighed.

"Well, I don't  _want_ an explanation about how you suddenly have decided that you have  _feelings_ for me!" she cried. "What I  _want_ is my friend back." 

"It's not all of a sudden—"

" _Jug_ ," she said sternly. "You're missing my point entirely."

He sighed again, "I know. And I'm sorry. I hear you, okay? I want the same thing as you do, I swear. I know you're with her... and I'm right here. Your friend is right here."

Somehow, Toni didn't quite see that. Things wouldn't exactly be the same anymore, especially when she was aware that he would be having a romantic agenda whenever he was around her. Honestly, she wished that she was still in the dark about his feelings, because things were so much easier if she didn't know that. She still wanted to be around Jughead and be his friend— they had a close bond and protected each other like family because of the Serpents— but she was afraid that Cheryl wouldn't feel the same, especially if she were to hear that he had feelings for her. The topic of Jughead was already exhausted sorely because of everything that had happened, and Toni did understand how difficult it probably had been for her to deal with. It ran deeper than jealousy; Jughead's father was a participant in Cheryl's brother's murder— not directly and not willingly, but he still was an accessory.

She set the glass she was cleaning down.

"I know you  _know_. At least on the surface-level," she started, "but I need you to  _respect_ my relationship. You can't make things hard for me... but more importantly, you can't make things hard for  _Cheryl_. Please."

"Of course," he nodded his head, blinking a few times. "I'm not here to hurt anyone."

"I know that, Jug. You're a good guy... you'd never have the intentions," she said, putting on a smile. "I just want us to square this away, that's all. I want things to go back to the way they were."

"Will do, Topaz," he smiled back. "I'll try my very hardest." 

 

* * *

 

Upon entering Thistlehouse, Toni set her bag down in the living room, which was completely engulfed in darkness. She carefully made her way up the stairs, not wanting to wake Cheryl up. It was common that the redhead was fast asleep by the time she got home from her shift at the Whyte Wyrm, which was unsurprising. Aside from not being able to see Cheryl as much, these extra shifts were also taking a toll on her sleep schedule; they had to be up early each morning for school, so it didn't help that she was going to bed just a few hours before she had to be up again.

Once she made her way up the grand staircase, she was surprised to see a creak of light coming from the bedroom. Still, she remained cautious— sometimes she had to turn the lights off for the redhead because Cheryl fell asleep with them on while she was trying to stay up to wait for Toni (which the pink-haired girl found absolutely _endearing_ ). 

Stepping inside the bedroom, Toni found a half-asleep redhead sprawled out on the bed. But as soon as the Serpent entered the room, her eyes sprung open and she jolted up.

"T.T?" she questioned excitedly, yet clearly still groggy.

"Cher, I told you that you don't have to wait for me," Toni reminded. "Go to sleep, babe."

"I always want to wait for you," she said in a hushed and soft tone. She was so sleepy and Toni found that so damn adorable. 

Toni gave her a small, lipped smile before sitting down on the bed alongside the redhead, gazing at her admiringly. "How do you always look so beautiful?"

Cheryl, although she was still struggling to stay awake, pulled herself closer to Toni, allowing herself to rest in her arms. With no protest whatsoever, Toni wrapped her arms around the redhead, holding her head close to her heart.

"How was work?" she asked.

Toni sighed, shaking her head. "Long... boring... and I missed you like hell."

"Likewise," Cheryl chuckled, reaching over to play with Toni's fingers. 

"Jughead came around today," Toni bit her lip as she brought it up. She just wanted to be open with her— keep things as honest as possible. She made the mistake of shutting Cheryl out of her world and keeping things from her before; she was trying not to do it again. "He wanted to lend a hand with my chores... but more importantly, he wanted to talk."

Immediately, Cheryl felt a bit startled. She pulled away from Toni's chest. She didn't know why she was freaking out so much; she  _trusted_ Toni. She had learned from their "disagreement" as well. She calmed herself down. She knew it was nothing and she had nothing to worry about.

"About what?" she asked, trying to remain nonchalant.

She sighed, "I guess... I guess he just wanted to explain everything. He wanted to let me know that all that stuff he said and did before wasn't... well, it wasn't exactly entirely about Betty. He, um... he has feelings for me and he wanted to let me know, for whatever reason."

Internally, Cheryl was fuming a bit. This guy had the audacity to do this to  _her_ girlfriend? She knew that he was Toni's friend and all, and was practically like family to her, but it still was annoying. She had never been very fond of Jughead to begin with, anyway. 

But she knew she had to cool it. Toni wasn't property. And Toni was also a very, very great girlfriend. There was  _nothing_ to worry about.

"Please don't be upset, though, Cher— he made it clear that he wasn't expecting anything to come out of telling me all this," Toni reassured her. "He just felt like he was icing me out and wanted to be honest. And I'm trying to be honest with you right now. So, just know that he is very aware that—"

"You're with me," Cheryl smiled, squeezing her hands. "I know that. I trust you, completely. And I'm not upset, T.T... Actually, I'm so very delighted that you felt that you could tell me instead of keeping it to yourself. Thank you."

"Of course," Toni said, smiling back. "I'm so happy that you said that, you know. I'm so happy with where we are... I'm just— I'm so happy with  _you_. More than I've ever been before."

Cheryl's heart beat faster. She wondered if that was hinting at what she thought it meant— that perhaps Toni loved her, too. The only thing that could make her any happier right now was hearing those words. But Cheryl supposed that there would be a grander and better time to tell her of these potent feelings she had; well, hopefully a grander and better time that  _Toni_ would tell  _her_ of her potent feelings, but only because Cheryl was scared as hell and that would make things a whole lot easier.

"I'm so happy with you, too, T.T. More than you could ever know, sincerely," Cheryl smiled, brushing her hand against the Serpent's arm. "Shall we sleep now? I already find it hard to not fall asleep in Bennett's class, so I don't think sleeping any later is going to do me any favors."

"Yeah, let me just change into something more comfortable and I'll join you," Toni said, leaning in to quickly peck the redhead's lips before getting up from the bed.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, hello there! Thank you for the continued support, everyone! I'm so happy to know that there are many of you still sticking with me here. I love knowing that there are people still enjoying the story. 
> 
> This chapter is somewhat filler-ish? I'm not sure. I don't think there's any major plot development, but there's still a lot of fun stuff in my opinion. There's some subtle development, especially since we get to go a little into the drunken mind of Toni Topaz. There's definitely minor development, which I think is still important.
> 
> Sound enticing? I hope! If you're a sucker for a very, very drunk Toni, then you'll have fun. We also get to see quite a bit more of Veronica and Archie— there's some stuff with their relationship, too. It's just a fun chapter to me. We've got a football game, a party, and some drinking. I hope you guys like it!

Friday night, with the lights of the football stadium blaring— it felt like the epitome of high school bottled up. And  _this_ was the last experience of that: the final football game of their senior year. It was bittersweet.

Admittedly, Toni hadn't been to a lot of football games; she hadn't really gone too in-depth with the typical high school experience in general. She had only been to like one football game in total. To be fair, South Side High didn't exactly have a lot going on for sports extracurriculars or extracurriculars in general, so she had about three-fourths of a semester at Riverdale High to experience as much as possible.

This was surprisingly the first time she was going to see Cheryl performing at a football game. She had taken work off at the Wyrm for the night because, of course, seeing her girl was worth it. Besides, it would be a shame if she didn't go to the  _very last_ football game.

"Remind me  _why_ we're here, Topaz?" 

Toni just rolled her eyes at Sweet Pea.  _Of course_ he was being a downer— she didn't expect anything less. Obviously, Toni wasn't the biggest advocate of school spirit (she hadn't dressed up for a single spirit day event since starting at Riverdale High... South Side High didn't have any at all). But if there was anyone who hated school spirit  _more_ than Toni, it was Sweet Pea.

"Oh, come on, Sweets. Would it  _kill_ you to try to have a little school spirit?"

"Yeah, it would, actually," he grunted. "I could be hanging out with Alexis right now instead of watching a bunch of losers pretending they know what football is when they're just here for cute pictures to post online."

Toni chuckled, "While what you said might actually be true, it's our last chance to go to one of these games! Look,  _Fangs_ is enjoying it."

The two of them both glanced over to find Fangs with a full face of patterns of blue and gold face-paint and his hands stuffed with snacks like candy and nachos from the concession stand. 

"Really, Fangs?" Sweet Pea glared.

Fangs just shrugged with a 'guilty-as-charged grin, then shoved a Skittle in his mouth.

"I'm  _applauding_ him for participating, unlike you," Toni told him.

"Come on, you have  _zero_ school spirit, Topaz. You're only here so you can score points with Red and get  _rewarded_ tonight."

" _Completely_ untrue. I'm here because I want to have some smidge of a high school experience, Sweets!" she exclaimed, but it even sounded stupid to her. "Okay, well, I'm not just trying to score points with Cheryl. I genuinely want to see her perform."

"Oh, so you dragged us all here so we can watch her cheering for five minutes during halftime?" Sweet Pea rolled his eyes. "I  _definitely_ could have been scoring legitimate points with Alexis right now."

Toni scoffed, "You know, you seem to be awfully caught up with someone who you keep claiming  _isn't_ your girlfriend."

"Yeah, she isn't my girlfriend. Not everyone has to put a label on everything," Sweet Pea shrugged his shoulders.

Toni was absolutely positive that he legitimately liked her, but she decided she would grill him intently later. He was already a major downer because he had to come out to the game; it would only piss him off more to tease him about his little crush on Alexis.

"You didn't ask Jug to come?" Sweet Pea questioned.

She pressed her lips together. She hadn't told Fangs or Sweet Pea about Jughead's  _confessions_ from the other night. Things were still easing over— they were better than they were before when Jughead seemed to be avoiding her altogether, but they were still tense. She wanted their friendship to be the same, but she still felt a twinge of awkwardness. It would take some time to settle.

"The other day, he told me that he has feelings for me," Toni revealed, chewing her lip anxiously.

" _What_?" Fangs choked out, dropping his pack of Skittles on the floor. "Damn it..."

Toni sighed, "He came down to the Wyrm to apologize and explain why he's been acting weird. He tried to assure me that everything's okay and that we can just be friends and I  _want_ to believe him, but it's hard. I don't think I'm ready to just casually ask him to hang out again."

Sweet Pea nodded his head, "Yeah, that's completely understandable, Tiny. What the hell was he thinking, anyway? Did he think that telling you would make things any easier for anyone?"

"I guess he just felt like he owed me an explanation. I think things will be better soon... I just need a little more time," she continued. "And I appreciate you guys respecting things and not bringing him along when we're hanging out. If things are going to get better between us, they're going to have to be on my schedule."

"We've got your back, little one. Always," Sweet Pea assured her, putting his arm around her. 

She was thinking of maybe inviting Jughead to a hangout with Sweet Pea and Fangs soon— maybe that would get them back into the groove of things where they could just work on rebuilding their friendship. They had some casual conversations at Serpent meetings, so things were getting slightly less awkward. She did have faith in their friendship; they had been there for each other through some tough shit. And even with the slight thing they had back when he was getting initiated into the Serpents, they put their friendship first. They were able to be friends with no awkwardness after he got back together with Betty then.

Obviously, things were slightly more complicated in this situation, but not  _too_ far off. She just wanted things to be good again.

When she turned her head, she saw the pack of Vixens coming out in their little uniforms, pom-poms in hand. Toni pressed her hands to her chin, watching admiringly as Cheryl stood front and center of the cheerleading squad. She looked stunning— her lips were coated in her signature red lipstick, her hair was pulled back into a half-up half-down hairstyle, her red locks falling perfectly over her shoulders. She couldn't even believe she had a girlfriend this perfect.

Cheryl caught her eye in the audience; the two of them locked eyes, grinning at each other.

"You are  _so_ in love," Sweet Pea teased, nudging her with his elbow.

"Shut the hell up, Sweets," Toni said through her teeth, not breaking her smile or eye contact with Cheryl.

"Won't lie— she looks pretty damn great out there," Sweet Pea commented. "Maybe this game _is_ worth coming to, after all."

"I'm literally going to kill you for that," Toni chuckled, shaking her head.

* * *

Tickling Cheryl's bare arm with a scratchy gold pom-pom, Veronica teased, "Okay, when am I going to get a formal introduction to your little darling? You two have been staring at each other like long-lost lovers reunited for at least an eternity now. I am  _seriously_ offended that I haven't even gotten to know her yet! Your  _first_ real girlfriend. Hell, the first person you've ever dated!"

Cheryl rolled her eyes, "I know, I know. And I would  _love_ for you to meet my dear T.T. and get to know all about her. I think you'll find her flawless, just as I do."

"Well, perfect then, huh?" Veronica smirked. "You know I'm throwing another big party after the game. Daddy's taken Mommy out to New York for family business meetings, so I've got the Pembrooke to myself. What better way to get to know your ladylove than over booze and bass?"

"Sounds delightful," the redhead sarcastically commented. "I'll be there, at least. She's been quite busy working lately... I'll have to see if she has a shift after the game."

"She better not! I've waited too long to meet her," Veronica groaned in frustration. "But how sweet that she took off work just to see you cheer." 

Cheryl smiled, "I can't find a flaw in her." 

"Well, why don't you stop looking for one?" she chuckled, shaking her head.

The redhead sighed, "It's not that I'm  _looking_ for one, per se. It's rather that... I'm simply not used to such good things in my life lasting this long. Certainly not something as good as T.T. I feel that good things never work out for me. It's more... me than her."

"You think you're a ticking time bomb, basically?"

"Well, if you want to put it like that, I suppose..."

Veronica looked at her sympathetically, squeezing her shoulder.

"Cher, you're not," Veronica assured her. "You deserve good things in your life. I'm so happy you found someone you truly care about... and that cares about you equally."

"Thank you, V," she half-smiled. "I appreciate it."

The loud music of the school band cut their conversation short, as the Riverdale Bulldogs ran on to the football field to face their opposing team. Veronica was staring at a ginger-haired boy who was adjusting his helmet out on the field.

"Archie?" Cheryl asked in a whisper. "How are things?"

"We're... fine," Veronica said sadly. "It's not our relationship that's the problem, really... it's rather how the whole group dynamic has shattered. Betty and Jughead were two of his closest friends and now all four of us can't hang out together anymore. He's devastated and that, in turn, hurts our relationship."

"Is it going to take you putting these friendships back together to keep your relationship?" Cheryl asked.

Veronica shrugged her shoulders, "It's looking that way, but I don't want to. I have to stand and tell Betty that what she did is  _fine_ when it's really  _not_. But if I don't, I might be messing up what I have with Archie... and I don't want to lose him, Cher. I don't."

Cheryl didn't know what to say. She wished there were a way for Archie to salvage his friendships with Betty and Jughead while still not making Veronica forgive Betty. It was a complicated situation all-around. 

* * *

The Bulldogs took the victory— the crowd was going wild, powder was being thrown in the air, the band was playing their music, and all felt perfect. Archie was being cheered on by his teammates, as well as half of Riverdale High, for scoring the final touchdown that brought the Bulldogs to victory in their final game of the season. Meanwhile, Veronica was waiting on the sidelines sadly. She caught eye of Betty somewhere on the bleachers, looking so longingly at  _her_ boyfriend. It made her burn inside.

"I'm supposed to just stand here and watch her  _ogle_ him?" Veronica cried. "How am I supposed to forgive her, Cher? I want to, but how the hell am I supposed to do it? It wasn't a one-time-thing, was it? She's freaking  _in love_ with my boyfriend."

Cheryl squeezed her shoulder, "Deep breaths, V. He loves you, not her. He just misses her as a friend. That's understandable: they've been best friends for a long time."

"I know, but it... stings," Veronica sighed. "I thought she was one of  _my_ best friends. I thought I could trust her, but she would throw our entire friendship away?"

Cheryl had no words to say. She just squeezed Veronica's shoulder again, trying her best to comfort the other girl.

"Let's not worry too much. Don't you have a party to host at the Pembrooke?" Cheryl grinned.

"You're right. I do," Veronica grinned back. "And it looks like  _you_ have a little ladylove to attend to.  _And_ introduce me to, please!"

Cheryl turned around, her face brightening when she saw the pink-haired girl approaching her quickly from the bleachers. Instantly, Toni pulled her in for a long kiss, her thumbs rubbing against Cheryl's cheek. She kissed her so hard, sucking the breath right out of Cheryl.

" _Wow_ ," the redhead breathed when they finally pull apart.

"Wow to  _you_ , Bombshell," Toni grinned, still keeping her hands on the redhead's cheeks. "You were phenomenal out there. I'm ninety-nine percent sure that the Bulldogs only won because of you."

Cheryl rolled her eyes playfully, chastely kissing Toni's lips again.

"I'm so happy you came tonight," Cheryl said softly, her eyes unable to be ripped from Toni's perfect face until—

Veronica fake-coughed loudly, blinking several times as she stared at the couple.

"Right! There's someone I would like to introduce you to, T.T.," Cheryl chuckled, shaking her head. "You probably already know her— we attended her party one night— but, this is my loveliest and dearest friend, Veronica Lodge. She was also a wonderful confidante as I pined over you."

Toni stepped past Cheryl, walking over to greet the raven-haired girl. She extended her arm out, which Veronica gladly took.

"I mean, we've met a few times now, haven't we?" Toni chuckled.

"Sure, but not since you and Cheryl became  _official_ ," Veronica grinned. "I'm excited to finally meet the girlfriend now that she's the girlfriend!"

Toni chuckled again, "Well, any friend of Cheryl's is a friend of mine."

"So, since Cheryl is yet to inform you, I am cordially inviting you to my post-game party at the Pembrooke, which will be beginning as soon as I get back," Veronica smugly spoke. "What do you say, Toni Topaz? Will you be joining tonight?"

Cheryl looked over at her, clearly hoping for her to say yes, but giving her an understanding expression.

"It's fine if you can't, T.T. I understand if you have to take a shift at the Wyrm tonight," she assured her.

Toni smiled, grabbing Cheryl's hand.

"I took the night off of work. I'm all yours tonight, babe," the pink-haired girl said. "And I guess I'm yours tonight, too, Veronica."

" _Perfect_!" Veronica exclaimed. "I look forward to grilling you two about all of the details!"

 

* * *

 

Nothing made a Friday night better than alcohol— at least for Toni.

Of course, Cheryl wasn't going sober for the night either— the two girls were downing vodka and cranberry juice together— but she certainly wasn't planning on getting on  _Toni's_ level. Thankfully, Kevin Keller had offered to be the designated driver for the night, simply judging everyone's drunken state while laughing his ass off. 

"How many shots have you even had, babe?" Cheryl laughed, her hand rubbing the tiny girl's thigh.

"Mmm, not enough," she replied, a tight-lipped, drunken grin and with eyes that were barely able to stay open.

"Well, now it's definitely going to be too easy for me to get to know her too well," Veronica smirked. "The vodka will do the talking."

Cheryl chuckled, shaking her head, "You best keep your mouth shut, T.T."

" _What_? My lips are  _sealed_ , babe," Toni grinned, bringing both her hands to Cheryl's cheeks. "What would I even say?"

"Honestly, I'd like to be on that level," Veronica said. "Maybe I need another shot. Archiekins!"

The ginger football player turned his head when he heard Veronica calling his name, offering her a tight-lipped smile, then walked over.

"Would you be a gentleman and make me a little something to drink?" she asked.

"Of course, Ronnie," Archie nodded his head.

He placed his hands on her cheek momentarily and gave her a quick peck on the lips. Veronica sighed as she watched her boyfriend disappear into the distance towards the drinks table. Cheryl turned to her with arched eyebrows.

"He loves you, V," the redhead assured her. "I can see it in his eyes."

"I know... I mean, I'm trying my best to know," Veronica sighed. "It's just that... there's a sadness in his eyes, too, you know? He's missing something vital in his life and I hate that I know exactly what it is— it's  _Betty_. And of course, I get that. They were childhood best friends and everything, so  _of course_ he's upset that they're not on good terms right now. Wouldn't I be a bitch  _not_ to get that?"

"She tried to kiss your boyfriend. It's understandable that you aren't jumping for joy that Archie's sad over her," Cheryl reassured. "I assure you, you are certainly handling everything well. You were put in a difficult situation and are acting quite maturely. I applaud you! I'm not sure if I would have acted so calmly in your situation."

Toni grinned goofily, poking her finger into Cheryl's cheek.

"Whatdoyoumean  _would have_ ," she slurred, chuckling as she spoke. "You  _didn't_! Remember when Jughead tried to kiss me and you went nuts?"

Immediately, Cheryl shot her girlfriend a glare while Veronica laughed, "For someone who works at a  _bar_ , I thought you would be able to handle your alcohol better, T.T."

"I  _am_ handling it!" Toni defended. "I'm fucking sober right now."

Cheryl chuckled, rolling her eyes before turning back to Veronica.

" _Anyways_ , as hard as it is, just remember that Archie loves you," she concluded elegantly.

Veronica smirked, eyeing the Serpent who was currently all over Cheryl, head buried in her neck, pressing kisses across.

"Mhm. And remember that there's someone here who loves you a little too much," Veronica joked.

"My God, I am definitely going to need more drinks to be able to handle  _this_ ," she shook her head, guiding Toni's lips away from her neck gently, not wanting to startle her. Toni now rested her head lazily on the redhead's shoulder.

"Then why don't you go pour yourself one?" Veronica asked in a sickeningly sweet voice, unable to wipe the smirk off of her face. Cheryl analyzed her face cautiously. The raven-haired girl continued, insisting, "I'll take  _extra_ great care of your precious Toni, I swear."

"Should I really be leaving you alone with this blabbermouth?" the redhead scoffed, glancing over at the overly-giddy girl laying on her shoulder, staring at absolutely nothing. 

Immediately after hearing that, Toni jerked her head to face Cheryl, an offended expression taking over.

" _Blabbermouth_?" she raised her eyebrows. "Cher, I can  _handlemyself_ , okay? I _can_. I promise." 

Cheryl found that hard to believe (and she had no reason whatsoever to believe a girl who was completely wasted), but she really wanted another drink, and it wasn't like anything bad was going to happen. She was just going to go over to the drinks table for a minute— she could leave Toni with Veronica. At least she knew that Veronica was nothing more than slightly tipsy.

"You  _better_ not leave my T.T. alone, V," Cheryl warned. "I don't care if 'Archiekins' demands a closet make-out sesh. I'll be back in a minute."

Veronica rolled her eyes, scooting closer to Toni on the couch. Her eyes widened a bit as Toni grabbed her red solo cup from the table next to her, beginning to sip it again; it probably wasn't the best idea for her to continue drinking when she was already so drunk, but—

"Hey, Ronnie," Archie greeted, taking a seat next to his girlfriend on the couch. He handed her a new red cup, filled with some mixed drink inside. Smiling at her, he put his arm around her and pulled her in for a long, warm kiss. "Sorry I took so long. Some of the guys from the team wanted me to chug the stupid wine bag 'in celebration' of today's game." 

She chuckled, shaking her head, "Typical. I'm guessing Reggie Mantle was the ringleader?"

"Who else would it be?" he chuckled back. He glanced over on to Veronica's other side to find the pink-haired girl slouching against the couch, her empty red cup hanging dully from her mouth as she held it with her teeth. Her eyes could barely open; immediately, he could tell how drunk she was. He raised his eyebrows, looking back at Veronica. "So, are you stuck babysitting the drunk girl tonight?"

Veronica shrugged, "Temporarily. Cheryl is going to be right back. This is, um— this is actually her girlfriend: Toni Topaz." 

Archie blinked a few times. He felt like he was supposed to know that information. He felt like he  _did_ know, but it had slipped his mind recently, especially with everything going on in his life. He nodded his head.

"Well, I'll probably have to introduce myself again when she's sober, but... wow," he kept nodding. "That's pretty cool. I've definitely seen her around. Isn't she in Jug's gang?"

Veronica nodded her head, "She's a proud Serpent."

"Who would've thought Cheryl Blossom would date a South Side Serpent, huh? Interesting," he chuckled, looking over at Toni again. "You good?"

"Me?" Toni shot up, trying to force her eyes as open as possible. "I'm  _fiiine_. You've got red hair, like Cheryl."

"Oh, yeah... I do," he said, amused.

Now that Archie had returned, Veronica suddenly wasn't so interested in playing Toni's keeper anymore. Of course, she had wanted to get to know her better tonight, but with the amount of alcohol in her system and the fact that she hadn't gotten as much time with Archie since everything happened with Betty, she was a little distracted now. While Archie continued to amuse himself by engaging in Toni's drunken small-talk, Veronica glanced the other direction to see if Cheryl was on her way back from getting a drink.

The raven-haired girl pressed her lips together, letting out a small, frustrated sigh.

Not only was Cheryl not at the drinks table anymore, but she was out of sight  _completely_. She swore, that girl better have gone to the bathroom or something. She was surprised, honestly— Cheryl had been so reluctant about even leaving Toni alone with her to begin with, so would she really ditch her for the entire night? Maybe Cheryl trusted her more than she thought.

Breaking Veronica's thoughts, Toni brought her hand to her mouth: " _Fuck_ ," she breathed, her voice dropping low. "I think I might... puke my guts out."

...and the tale only worsened. Both Veronica and Archie jumped into action mode, getting up from the couch, holding on to Toni tightly, guiding her to the nearest bathroom. God, when Veronica got a hold of Cheryl, she was really going to give her a piece of her mind for probably making her clean up Toni's puke. 

* * *

 

After holding Toni's hair back while she threw up in the toilet, helping her wash her mouth out, and then giving her a glass of water to drink, Veronica turned to Archie.

"I'm sorry we're stuck doing this right now, Archiekins," she sighed, looking at him apologetically. "Believe me, I would  _much_ rather be spending time with you."

He broke his glance away from Toni, who was now calmly drinking her water, reaching out to grab Veronica's hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

"Don't worry about it, Ronnie," he smiled sweetly. "I'm okay with this, actually. She's pretty entertaining... minus the throwing up part, that is."

Veronica chuckled, "I suppose, in a way, we  _are_ spending time together. What better way than cleaning up Cheryl's drunk girlfriend's vomit?"

He grinned, "Pretty romantic, don't you think?"

"Certainly," she mumbled as she leaned closer to him, bringing her lips to his for a warm kiss. 

Veronica finally found some peace now that Toni was silent for a bit. She wrapped her arms around Archie, continuing to kiss him, deepening the kisses gradually. Things were beginning to feel like old times, maybe... back when the two of them could never keep their hands off of each other. She smiled into his mouth, feeling at home again. For the first time in a while, it didn't feel like the sadness of losing Betty's friendship was looming over them, especially him.

"You guys are... in  _looove_ , huh?" Toni giggled.

The raven-girl haired wasn't even upset as she pulled back from her boyfriend's lips; she simply laughed, equally amused as Archie. 

"Nah, we don't even like each other, to be honest," Archie joked, only to mess with her. Besides, her tone didn't seem very legitimate— it almost felt as if she was poking fun at them.

Toni pouted, folding her arms. Her giggly smile faded, her facial expression quickly turning serious.

"No, seriously. I meant it," she said. "You're in love?"

Archie glanced up at Veronica, a comforting smile on his face. Veronica's eyes met his; her heart calmed down, an easing, reassuring feeling coming over her. She felt like she could finally take a deep breath and relax. Sure, the tensions with Betty were far from resolved, but at least she knew where Archie's heart was.

"Couldn't be more so," he chuckled, squatting down next to Toni, who was sitting on the bathroom floor, slouching against the wall. "You need more water?"

She shook her head, but Archie figured that she would need more water anyway to stand a chance at even slightly taming the beast of a hangover that she was surely going to have tomorrow. He took the water bottle from her hands, motioning to Veronica, who instantly began filling it up with tap water from the sink again.

"I don't need water," she insisted, her eyes drooping. "I need Cheryl."

Archie nodded his head, "And I promise that we're going to find her as soon as we get out of here."

"You guys love each other," she sighed, pressing the water bottle against her chest after Veronica handed it back to her. Her eyes flickered up to the couple. "I think I feel it, too."

" _What_?" the raven-haired girl blurted, a huge grin overwhelming her face. 

" _Shh_ , you're so loud!" Toni folded her arms, glaring at Veronica. "It's a _secret_. You can't say anything. But she's perfect... literally perfect. I think... I think I might think about her too much. She's all I wanna think about, anyway."

Veronica and Archie looked at each other, smiling. It definitely wasn't their secret to tell, but it sure was warming to hear. Both of them were aware of the hell that Cheryl had been through.

"You know what?" Archie stood up, offering the Serpent a hand to help her up. "Why don't we go find Cheryl now?"

That was more than enough to get Toni excited; once she heard that, she grabbed Archie's hand, allowing him to pull her up. He put his arm around her, guiding the stumbling girl out of the bathroom while Veronica followed. 

Scanning the room, Veronica was relieved when she saw Cheryl in the midst of a conversation with Josie, Valerie, and a few of the girls on the River Vixens. 

Tapping Archie, she said, "Thank God, she's there."

Nodding his head, Archie kept leading Toni towards the redhead. Once they infiltrated Cheryl's group, the redhead's attention was immediately ripped away from the others. The girls in her group all stared at the scene with wide eyes. Everyone had alcohol in their system, but no one there was quite on Toni's level.

" _T.T._!" she cried, basically grabbing Toni out of Archie's hold, bringing the pink-haired girl into her arms. "I am so,  _so_ sorry. I got completely distracted."

"Don't worry. Everything was fine," Archie assured her. "We made sure she got plenty of water, but she should probably still drink more."

She nodded her head, "I can't thank you two enough—"

"Seriously, Cheryl— don't worry about it," Veronica smiled. Initially, she was planning on going off on Cheryl for leaving them with a very drunk Toni to take care of all night, but she was feeling extremely calm and relaxed now. She felt good.

"Ladies, I clearly have something to attend to. I'll catch up with you all later," Cheryl said apologetically, still clinging tightly to Toni, who kept her head buried in the redhead's neck. Her voice got softer and lower, "Come on, T.T. Why don't we sit down?"

Returning to the couch they were originally sitting on with Veronica, Cheryl helped her girlfriend settle down. She wasn't planning on leaving her side ever again during the night. She kept letting Toni rest her head on her chest, comfortingly stroking her back as they sat there.

Archie had finally headed back to hang out with his football teammates to continue celebrating the big Bulldogs victory, but Veronica decided to remain with them, at least for a little bit longer.

"How are  _you_ feeling, Cheryl?" Veronica asked curiously.

"Tipsy. Nothing more," she replied. "I didn't drink too much. Definitely not as much as this one..."

Veronica chuckled, "She's an entertaining drunk, that's for sure."

Cheryl sighed, "I'm sorry that  _this_ is the first time you're really getting to spend time with her, V. She's lovely, I promise. I wish you could see her sober instead."

"We can definitely arrange that for another time," Veronica reassured her. "But honestly, I can tell that she's lovely. Doesn't matter if she's drunk."

Cheryl raised her eyebrows in disbelief. From what she had seen, Toni hadn't said a logical thing since she got all that alcohol in her system; she would be surprised if Veronica even got a glimpse of how lovely she truly was.

"I mean it," Veronica continued, picking up on Cheryl's evident disbelief. "She's exactly what you need, Cheryl. I'm so happy that you found her."

The redhead smiled with her lips: "That makes two of us."

"You've been through hell— I know that," Veronica said, squeezing the redhead's hand. "I couldn't have imagined a better person for you. She really, really cares about you."

"And you got all of this from her drunken speech?" Cheryl just laughed, shaking her head.

"You'd be surprised... she wouldn't shut up about you," she said. "It's a good sign, I think. I'll leave you two alone." 

Cheryl looked down at the girl laying on her as Veronica got up and walked off. She brought her hands to Toni's soft hair, running her fingers through it. Maybe it  _was_ a bit exciting that Toni wouldn't shut up about her to Veronica and Archie. She never expected to find something like this— someone like her. She never expected to be crazy about someone and have them actually be crazy for her, too.

She clearly knew how strongly she felt about Toni. Tonight certainly wasn't the right time to express  _those_ feelings, but she hoped the time would come soon.

"Cher?"

"Yes, T.T.?" she replied, continuing to run her hands through her luscious pink hair.

"Can we go home now?" she asked groggily.

"Of course," Cheryl nodded, helping her up from the couch. "I don't think everyone Kevin's driving back is ready to go just yet, but I'll call an Uber."

Toni, not really processing or even trying to process what Cheryl was saying, brought her hands to the redhead's cheeks, pulling her in for an adorably sloppy kiss, which Cheryl tried not to laugh through as she reciprocated.

Cheryl held tightly on to Toni's hand as the two of them exited the Pembrooke, waiting outside for the ride that Cheryl had called. She brought her hand up, sliding it around Toni, pulling her close, pressing a long kiss to the top of her head.

"You're so nice, Cher," Toni laughed, grinning like a fool. "So, so,  _so_ nice."

The redhead chuckled, "I really am not."

"But you  _are_."

"Don't you remember how mean I was to you when we first met?"

Toni grinned harder, "You were only mean to me because you fucking  _wanted_ me. Bad."

"That's— well, that's true," Cheryl admitted, simply laughing it off. 

"Here's a secret, though: I fucking wanted you, too. So bad," Toni confessed happily, bringing her face incredibly close to Cheryl's, pressing her nose to the redhead's. Cheryl smiled with teeth, finding her drunken blabbering adorable and somewhat charming, surprisingly.

"You're too damn good for me," she breathed, her lips dragging across Cheryl's cheek now.

"That isn't true," the redhead shook her head.

"It's fucking true," Toni's smile faded. "Girls like you don't end up with girls like me. You know that." 

Cheryl's smile faded as well. She pressed her lips together. Why the hell would Toni say something like that?

"I'm always scared that it's a ticking time bomb because it just... it doesn't make sense to me that you're so perfect and I'm fucking—"

"Shut up," Cheryl said sharply, pressing her lips against Toni's, kissing her almost aggressively. After pulling back, Cheryl whispered, "For the record, and I know you're not going to remember a single thing I say, it's the other way around... but regardless, I'm not going anywhere, T.T. And I hope that you aren't, either."

With half-open eyes, Toni just mumbled, "Fuck."

"Well... the Uber's here."

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE BEFORE: If you guys liked the party from the last chapter, then I would totally advise you to check out a new one-shot I published called "All the Way Up." It's basically all about a party where everyone gets high on jingle-jangle and a lot of sexiness ensues-- and there's definitely a bunch of Choni in it; in fact, they're a very main couple in it. It's a whole lot of fun and hooking up and I would love if you guys checked it out! Shameless plug...
> 
> I should totally be studying right now, but I was super excited and had to finish up this chapter!
> 
> I'm really excited for you guys to read this one. Lots of fun stuff to unpack, including more about Toni's home life! I'm glad you guys still liked the sort of "filler" party chapter; this one's a lot more fundamental to the plot and in developing Cheryl and Toni's relationship. 
> 
> Let me know what you think!

Rolling her shoulders to unravel the tension from her stomach being pressed flat against the mattress beneath her, Toni slowly opened her eyes. She struggled to do so, but the aching in her muscles made it involuntary at this point. Her head was throbbing— she couldn't remember the last time she felt  _this_ bad after drinking. Of course, she had no one to blame but herself; from just the moments she  _remembered_ drinking, she already knew she drank more than enough to warrant one hell of a hangover.

"Good morning,  _ma chérie_." 

Her lips couldn't help but curve into a smile at the soothing sound of her girlfriend's soft voice. The Serpent stretched her body more, rolling over so that she was laying on her back instead, gazing at the redhead standing in the doorway of the bedroom. Holding a steaming pot of some sort in her hand, Cheryl approached the bed, sitting down next to the tinier girl. She pressed her hand to Toni's cheek, stroking it.

"I can barely imagine how awful you must feel right now, T.T., so I brewed up a family recipe of tea— with special herbs my Nana says cures all the adverse effects of alcohol," she began. "Oh, and I also brought you water and aspirin, in case you need it." 

Despite the pulsating going on in her head, Toni smiled harder, trying to sit up to meet the other girl's height.

"God, Cher... you're a freakin' angel," the Serpent gushed. "You didn't have to do any of this."

"As always, I  _want_ to," Cheryl smiled. "I want you to feel better. It would be no fun if you're feeling ill all day, anyway." 

As Cheryl poured some of the herbal tea from the pot into a small cup, Toni let out a small sigh.

"Look, I'm really sorry about last night, babe," she said sadly. "I kind of feel like an ass for getting wasted. I don't know what I was thinking. I knew that Veronica's important to you, but I messed it up. I should have stopped myself."

Cheryl shook her head, "No need to apologize. I hope you'll drink more responsibly next time, but I know Veronica would be happy to spend time with you any time."

"Just tell me I didn't say anything  _too_ stupid last night," Toni chuckled.

The redhead pressed her lips together, trying to hold a smile. Obviously, the overindulgence made Toni run her mouth a lot last night— she actually hadn't been with Cheryl most of the night, but she could only imagine the earful that Veronica and Archie had gotten. But the worst of it all was what she  _did_ say to Cheryl. At the very end.

_You're too damn good for me._

Flattery was something Cheryl had always appreciated, but something struck her differently. Maybe some of it was because it simply wasn't a true statement and she spent most of her time wondering how  _she_ had gotten lucky enough to find Toni. Maybe some of it was the dull sadness in her tone as she said it— that it sounded like more than drunken rambling. And then there was what it was followed by:

_Girls like you don't end up with girls like me. You know that._

"Nothing too alarming," she just smiled, placing her hand on the Serpent's cheek. 

Toni propped herself up more, bringing her lips to Cheryl's. Their mouths moved together, Toni basking in the delightful feeling of Cheryl's soft pink lips rubbing against hers as they kissed. She let her hands rest on the redhead's thighs, losing her air more and more until—

" _Fuck_ , I forgot that I have to go to stupid work for my afternoon shift," she cursed, tumbling over into Cheryl's lap dramatically. She rested her head there, letting out a loud and exaggerated groan. "God, I really don't want to go. I just wanna stay here forever, kissing you."

"Mmm, well... as much as I love kissing you, it was getting a little hard to do so with that morning breath of yours," the redhead grinned, earning a playful whack on the lap from her girlfriend. "I'm  _kidding_! Kind of..." 

Toni brought herself back up to sitting position.

"Fine. You're getting what you asked for. I'll be gone after I shower." 

" _And_ eat," she warned. "You're already going to be feeling like complete crap with that hangover, T.T. I'm not letting you go to work on an empty stomach, too." 

Toni just smirked, pressing a peck to her lips.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you actually care about me!"

"Me? Care about  _you_? Never." 

* * *

 

"Fucking Alexis hasn't texted me back  _all day_. What the hell?" 

Toni rolled her eyes, placing a wiped-down glass back on the shelf.

"I don't know, Sweets, maybe she's busy," she shrugged. "And, again, for a girl you claim you're  _not_ into, you seem to care a lot." 

Sweet Pea sighed, finally peeling his eyes from his phone, which he had repeatedly been checking the entire day. "So, maybe this isn't just about sex..." 

"Wow, what an  _insane_ idea!" Toni laughed, shaking her head. "It's not like I've been saying that all along."

Picking up her bag from the inside of the bar, Toni hopped over the counter, startling the man in the sleeveless denim vest. 

"You're done for the day?"

"I'm clocking out early today," Toni said. "Honestly, I've been overworking myself and I think a few hours shorter of a shift won't kill me. Plus, I'll have more time to see Cheryl." 

"Topaz, you're in love." 

"It's not  _all_ about Cheryl," she assured him. "There are a few things I need that I haven't picked up from my uncle's trailer and I wanted to do that tonight."

Sweet Pea raised his eyebrows, "What? Won't he kill you if he finds you there?"

"Probably," she shrugged. "That's why I'm hoping he's still out since I'm leaving my shift earlier than usual. What can I do, anyway? The only other way I could get inside is by asking him for my stuff back, which I'm sure he would just yell at me for, telling me that I was using all of his shit forever."

He shook his head, "Fuck your uncle, honestly. I'm not letting you go alone, Tiny. You can't risk being alone if he comes back."

She chuckled, "I'm fine, Sweets. What are you gonna do? Beat my uncle up?"

"If that's what it takes, then  _hell yeah_ , Topaz," he folded his arms. "It's better if he's outnumbered. Besides, we've taken on bigger beasts than your uncle." 

Toni knew there was no talking Sweet Pea out of this— he was determined. And honestly, she was glad that he was; it was nice to have support going into this. Even if her uncle didn't physically do anything, she would feel a lot safer with him there... a lot less alone.

The two of them headed out from the Whyte Wyrm to her uncle's trailer. Thankfully, from the outside, the lights inside seemed to be off. Toni hopped off of her motorcycle, pin in hand, as she approached the door. Shoving the little pin into the lock, she twisted it around effortlessly, as she had practiced many times. Sweet Pea followed behind closely; the two of them stepped inside of the dark trailer.

Nervously, Toni moved her hand to the light switch, flicking it on; her heart jumped as the room brightened in a beat. She let out a sigh of relief as she found the trailer to be completely empty. Part of her was afraid that she would turn the lights on to her uncle laying down on the couch. The outcome would  _not_ have been pretty at all...

"Well, thank fucking God," Sweet Pea grinned. "You better hurry up and grab your shit, Tiny. Don't want him walking in here."

Nodding her head, she walked into the small bedroom where she used to stay while her uncle was in Toledo. She pressed her lips together, a sadness taking over her as she turned on the lights and took in the sight of her old bedroom. Her uncle hadn't taken the minimal decorations she had up; she figured he didn't use this bedroom at all, since he stayed in the slightly bigger one across from it. Nothing had changed. It still felt like her room, although she supposed it was never truly her room.

Speeding up, she quickly ran to the closet, stuffing her bag with the remaining clothes that were hanging in the dirty little closet. Frantically, she tried to think of whatever other things she had come back here for in the first place, going around her room and putting it into the bag.

"Shit,  _Toni_!" Sweet Pea yelled from the living room. "I think he's back— we've gotta fuckin' go. Now."

Shit. Shit. Shit.

How were they supposed to get out of here without being seen by her uncle? The lights were on, their motorcycles were parked outside— there was no way that this was going smoothly and by this point, Toni had accepted that her uncle was going to destroy her ass when he saw her. Thankfully, she had Sweet Pea by her side for this; she didn't know what she would have done if she had gone alone like she was initially planning on doing.

She switched the lights off in the bedroom, rushing to follow Sweet Pea to the main room, but before they could even get near the door, her uncle opened it, grocery bag in hand. He definitely looked angry, but didn't look surprised at all, as he stared directly at Toni, who blocked off Sweet Pea.

"What the hell are you doing here, Antoinette?" her uncle demanded, standing firmly in the doorway. 

"I had stuff to get—" 

"So, you break inside here again?" he scoffed, shaking his head. "I made it  _clear_ that you shouldn't be doing that anymore."

Toni didn't even know what to say. She clung tightly to her bag; Sweet Pea held her arm, squeezing it to reassure her that he was there and ready to promptly kick her uncle's ass if he tried anything.

"Noah?" her uncle's face softened. "Is that you, boy?"

"Uhh... yeah," Sweet Pea nodded, scratching his head.

Her uncle smiled, losing all of the anger on his face immediately. Toni blinked a few times. What the hell?

"I didn't know you were here," her uncle said, gently pushing past them so that he could enter the trailer. He set his grocery bag down on the table. "Boy, it's been a long time since I've seen you, Noah. I remember when my brother and I couldn't get you and Toni apart. Where have you been?"

Sweet Pea shrugged, "I'm, uh... I'm still around. Still a Serpent, of course. Still hanging with Toni. Y'know, I go by Sweet Pea now, though."

"Right," her uncle chuckled. "I'm sorry I got so angry... I just, it's hard to stay afloat here without much money. I lose my temper."

"You're not mad anymore?" Toni asked, raising her eyebrows.

Her uncle came back to the doorway, shutting the door. Toni tensed up— was this some sort of welcome?

"Can we all just sit down and talk? I just bought groceries; I could make some soup quickly or something for dinner," her uncle offered.

And Toni wasn't about to turn  _this_ down. It was a rare sight— one that she hadn't seen in ages. She couldn't even remember the last time that her uncle had been so kind to her. She wondered if it was all an act because he didn't want to seem rude around Sweet Pea.

After heating up the canned soup he had purchased and splitting it into three cheap bowls, he set them down on the tiny table, gesturing for the two of them to sit down with him. 

"Uncle, I hate to ask, but... what's going on?" Toni asked, hesitant as she let a spoonful of soup fall into her mouth.

He sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"When I saw Noah... something inside me broke," her uncle confessed. "I remembered seeing the two of you playing as kids... and I thought about your father— my own brother. The hell am I doing if I'm not taking care of his baby when he's not around for it anymore?"

Suddenly, Toni was even  _more_ grateful that Sweet Pea had come, or maybe she really would have gotten her ass kicked.

"We're family, Antoinette," her uncle smiled. "I've been a shitty uncle to you, I know that... and I'm sorry. How have you even been getting by?"

"Friends... and all. They've been pretty generous."

He shook his head, "I should've been the one providing for you. Not your kid friends. That's not their job."

"It's okay..."

It  _wasn't_. And Toni knew that. She hadn't let go of the fact that he left her, alone and abandoned without anybody taking care of her. But she yearned for this— any semblance of a real familial relationship. She had the Serpents as her family and she had Cheryl; she had people she cared about and cared for her, of course, but that didn't mean there weren't days where her heart broke because she didn't have a normal family like other people did.

Maybe this was what she needed to be normal. This could be her way of connecting with family again— maybe having an ounce of normalcy like the kids at school who  _weren't_ in gangs. Those were the kids who actually had real futures ahead of them.

"It might be late, but I want to be here for you now," he said. "You're only a kid; you deserve to have someone looking out for you. I'm going to be the man that I should have been for you, okay? I promise."

Toni nodded her head. Sweet Pea stared at her, still baffled by everything. He wasn't sure what to make of this. He had heard and been there for Toni through all of the shit that her uncle had put her through in the past; this just didn't seem like the same man. 

"Will you stay here with me, Antoinette?" he asked. "No more couch-surfing. You can have a real place to stay and I'll take care of you like I should have been doing all along."

She nodded again, "Yeah, of course. I would like that."

"Good," he smiled, reaching over to squeeze his niece's hand. "Thank you for giving me another chance."

* * *

 

After finishing the soup, her uncle started his acts of kindness by taking care of everyone's dishes, not even asking for a second of help from Toni. While he took care of that, Toni walked Sweet Pea out of the trailer.

"You gonna be okay here tonight, Tiny?" Sweet Pea asked, hands in his pockets as they stepped outside.

He leaned against his motorcycle with raised eyebrows, staring right at Toni.

"Yeah, I think everything's gonna be fine," she nodded her head. "It's a new leaf for him, I guess. Things turned out better than I expected they would tonight. Thanks to you for giving him childhood flashbacks?"

He sighed, "Yeah, I'm surprised, too."

"You look doubtful."

He chewed his lip before asking, "Can you blame me? It feels like the whole thing came out of left-field. His expression completely changed in like a second and, for what? Because  _I_ reminded him of when you were a kid?  _I_ reminded him of your dad?"

Toni shrugged, "Don't be so dramatic, Sweets. You just made him feel nostalgic."

"Nostalgic enough to do a complete one-eighty from a shitty-ass dude to one who just wants to be there for his family?" Sweet Pea asked in disbelief. "I dunno, Topaz, that just doesn't sit well with me. I'm worried about you—  _for_ you. What the hell does he have up his sleeve?"

"Well, I'm happy buying into it," she admitted. "For once, I have someone in my family."

"But do you really need him?" Sweet Pea asked. "You've got us... the Serpents. We're always there for each other."

"I'm aware of that, Sweets. The Serpents are a family to me in a way that he can never be for me and I'm not letting that go... ever," she promised him. "But this is different than that."

"What do you even need from him?" he asked, confused. "If it's financial support you're looking for, well... you've got Cheryl, who has clothes worth more than any shit he could provide you."

Toni folded her arms, glaring at him.  _Now_ he was being annoying.

"She's my  _girlfriend_ , not my bank," she hissed. 

"That's not what I meant—"

"It doesn't matter what you meant— it's what was implied, okay? I don't want to freeload off of anyone... not you, not any of the Serpents, and _definitely_ not Cheryl," she said. "I've done enough freeloading for a lifetime. My uncle's finally offering me some support and I would be stupid not to take it."

"Maybe," he nodded, defeated. "Just be careful, okay?"

"Always."

She stood in front of the trailer, watching as Sweet Pea got onto his motorcycle and started off on it. She let out a sigh, turning to look into the window, where she caught a glimpse of her uncle scrubbing the soup bowls with a sponge. Other than her grandfather, her uncle was all she had left in her family; there was no way that she could just let this opportunity slip away, not when he was  _offering_ it to her. For once, she wasn't sneaking into her uncle's trailer— she was  _welcome_ there.

As the roar of Sweet Pea's motorcycle grew distant, Toni pulled her phone out.

_Staying with my uncle tonight. Long story, but we can talk tmw._

After hitting the send button, she opened the door, stepping back inside of the trailer. It felt odd to enter without picking the lock or sneaking in when it was already unlocked. It was going to take some getting used to, but she didn't have to feel like she was burdening Cheryl anymore.

Of course, she knew that Cheryl liked having her at Thistlehouse and would  _never_ say it was a burden to have her there, she couldn't just  _live_ with her forever. It was more reasonable when she had nowhere to go and was just sleeping on friends' couches all the time. 

She went inside of the bedroom—  _her_ bedroom now, officially, she supposed. She glanced back at her uncle, who was still by the sink, wondering if this really was all too good to be true. This was the same man who called her an _ungrateful bitch_ repeatedly and told her to  _stay the hell away_ from his trailer. He had never shown any sympathy towards her living alone or having nowhere to go. 

* * *

"Toni?" 

Startled to find the shorter girl standing in her doorway on Sunday evening, Cheryl blinked a few times to make sure she wasn't just seeing things. Slowly, as she processed the reality in front of her, a smile crept upon her lips.

"What are you doing here? I thought you would be at work." 

"That's what I came here to talk about," Toni smiled, immediately taking Cheryl's hands into her own. "No more late night shifts, babe." 

Without questioning why just yet, Cheryl enveloped Toni's cheeks with her hands, practically yanking the Serpent's lips against her own. Toni held on to the fabric of the redhead's shirt, gladly getting the air sucked out of her by Cheryl's overwhelming kiss.

Whatever the reasoning was, Cheryl was just glad to know that the pain of barely being able to see her girlfriend was eased. Honestly, she had been worried since the previous night when Toni had texted her that she wouldn't be coming home. Her mind formulated all the possible reasons as to what she was doing, but she had to force herself through the day and trust that she would get her explanation sooner or later. 

She had no idea that the news would come with  _this_. It was better than she could have expected.

As both girls stepped inside of Thistlehouse, walking towards the living room couch, Cheryl asked, "As overjoyed as I am, T.T., what exactly would be the reason for this?" 

"Last night, I went to my uncle's trailer to pick up a few things that I wasn't able to get when he kicked me out," she explained.

Taken aback, the redhead said, "You did  _what_? Toni, why didn't you tell me?"

"It wasn't supposed to be a big deal; it was supposed to be a quick thing. Don't worry, anyway— Sweet Pea came with me as back-up," Toni assured her, squeezing her arm. "That's not the point, though: my uncle ended up showing up and I thought he was gonna kick me out and yell at me, but... he invited me to  _stay_." 

Cheryl raised her eyebrows. On the surface, it seemed like great news that Toni's family member was finally extending some help, but being the pessimist she was, Cheryl couldn't quite see what would lead to such a sudden change of heart.

"No strings attached?" the redhead questioned.

Toni shrugged her shoulders, "None so far. He just changed moods completely when he saw Sweet Pea there... he said he realized that he should have been there for me all along. He said he wants a second chance and that he's finally going to try to provide for me."

Cheryl pressed her lips together.

"Forgive me for the negativity, but... this all sounds far too good to be true." 

Toni nodded her head, "Believe me, I know. And I got an earful of a lecture from  _Sweet Pea_ of all people. I understand the concern, but... I think this is something I've gotta do. I mean, he's all I have left, Cher, other than my grandpa who obviously can't provide for someone else with how little he's got."

"He's not all you have, T.T..." Cheryl reminded her.

"I know, I know. I've got the Serpents—"

"...and  _me_ ," Cheryl cut her off. "You have me, too. You know that, right?"

The Serpent nodded her head again, offering a genuine smile. She placed her hands on Cheryl's cheek, caressing her smooth, creamy skin appreciatively.

"Of course I know that, babe," Toni assured her. "And I appreciate everything you do for me, I do. But he's my  _uncle_. My father's brother. If I turned him down, I feel like I would be breaking one of my last links to blood family."

"Real family wouldn't hurt you the way he has, T.T."

"I haven't forgotten everything he's done, trust me. I guess I just  _want_ things to work out. I want to give him a second chance," she explained. "After years of having to grow up faster than everyone around me, I just wanna remember what it's like to be a kid again... to be taken care of." 

Sympathetically, Cheryl nodded her head.

She would be lying if she said that she didn't understand the feeling. Oh, how she wished she could have a normal family, too. Of course, she had grown up most of her life with everything she had ever wanted provided for her, but after everything her parents had done to her and Jason, she knew she was better off living without her mother. But that didn't mean that she sometimes didn't still wish she could have a family again, taking care of her... not that they provided anything other than monetary support. 

But she knew she would never truly understand the depth of what Toni was feeling. She grew up providing for herself not only emotionally, but financially. 

"I truly hope he's being genuine," Cheryl said softly, leaning her head down on Toni's shoulder. "Although I'm going to miss having you here with me..."

Toni chuckled, "This is better for us, I promise. I'll miss being here with you, too, but now I don't have to work such late shifts trying to make extra money... which means that I'll have much more time to spend with you, babe."

"And how about a celebratory date tonight?" Cheryl asked, perking her head up. 

* * *

Cheryl Blossom was a perfectionist.

She gladly accepted any excuse to dress up, but more importantly, she wanted the night to be  _grand_ and  _perfect_ when she told Toni what she had been wanting to tell her for a while now. Obviously, she was nervous, but with a dazzling dress, bubbly drinks, and an immaculate dinner date, Cheryl couldn't have imagined a more perfect way to do it.

While she could wait for Toni to say it— if she ever said it, that was— she wanted to be in control. She wanted to make her dream moment cinematic and lovely, just the way she had seen in the movies. She wanted it to be picture-perfect— _unforgettable_ in every way.

Perked up on a seat facing her vanity mirror, Cheryl carefully applied blush to her cheeks, dabbing the thick brush against her cream skin. Seated on the bed calmly was Toni, who simply watched her from where she was sitting, a small smile forming on her face as she just...  _admired_.

Meeting Toni's gaze through the reflection in the mirror, Cheryl couldn't help but smile as well.

"Oh, T.T., why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, still smiling as her brush strokes lessened.

The Serpent sucked in her lips, biting down gently as she flickered her eyes up and down the image of her girlfriend in the mirror.

"You're just so," she paused, her eyes fixed on the redhead. "... _beautiful_ , is all."

"That's pleasant to hear," Cheryl smiled through her lips. "And here, I thought you were about to comment on how long I'm taking to get ready. I'd kiss you right now if I didn't  _just_ put my lipstick on." 

"Well, you  _are_ taking a long time, I'll admit," she chuckled, shaking her head. "Don't worry about the kissing thing, either. There's plenty of time for that later tonight. I have big plans."

" _Big plans_ , you say? Color me intrigued," Cheryl smirked. "You sure know how to keep a girl on edge." 

"It's my speciality, Bombshell."

The Serpent continued to watch as Cheryl proceeded with her extravagant make-up routine. But distracting her from the sight was the faint pattering sound coming from outside. She broke her eyes away from the mirror, instead glancing at the window behind them. It was already dark outside, so she couldn't see much, but she certainly  _heard_.

"Is it raining?" Toni pondered, scooting closer to the window. She peered outside, definitely seeing droplets of rain filling up the pane. "Wow, I think it  _is_ — and it's raining pretty hard now, too. I should've noticed on my way over here. The clouds were gray as hell; it was so gloomy."

" _Raining_?" Cheryl pressed her lips together, evidently disappointed.

Rain was  _not_ a part of her perfectly romantic plan to tell Toni that she loved her, that was for sure. But she supposed that she wouldn't let it get in the way. In fact, perhaps rain could be  _romantic_. A kiss in the rain at the end of the night? It was every girl's dream in the movies, right?

"I guess we're not going on my bike then," she chuckled.

"Excuse me, we were  _never_ going on your bike. As fun as it was when we went, I'm still getting used to it," the redhead chuckled back, shaking her head.

"Yeah, yeah. Hurry up, Cher; it sounds like the weather's only getting worse," Toni informed her, still with her face close to the window. "Maybe we should've checked the weather before making plans to go out, actually."

Cheryl brushed it off, "I'm sure it's fine, T.T. A little rain should be no harm to us. Perhaps my hair, make-up, and perfect satin dress, but... we'll bring an umbrella."

Reaching over for the remote on the nightstand, Toni turned on the television.

"Oh, come on! I'm  _almost_ done. Did you truly need to turn on the TV to make a point about how long I'm taking?"

Toni chuckled, "While that would've been brilliant of me, I'm actually trying to check the weather. Better late than never, right?"

"You could just check your phone, you know."

Flipping through the endless sea of channels, Toni finally landed on a random news network playing the weather report. 

" _...the storm has already hit Greendale and is making its way towards Riverdale; heavy showers and thunder are to be expected. With worsening conditions, it's advised to stay clear off the roads tonight; it's expected to be quite dangerous to be out as the storm proceeds._ "

Dropping her brush on the vanity counter, Cheryl's mouth opened wide, "Is this a  _joke_?"

"I don't think weather forecasts make jokes, Cher," Toni chuckled, tossing the remote aside, but leaving the television on. 

"Tonight, of all nights?" Cheryl folded her arms. "It's like the universe  _wants_ to punish me."

Maybe rain wouldn't have gotten in the way of her plans, but of course, right when she mustered up the courage to tell Toni how she was feeling, an entire storm came out. She had spent all this time getting ready, all this time mentally preparing to say those three words to Toni, just for her plans to be utterly  _destroyed_?

There would be no fancy dinner date tonight. No way for Cheryl to execute the picture-perfect plan. The universe simply wanted to put her plans on hold— throw a wrench in her way. Maybe it was dramatic, but Cheryl really felt like the world was playing against her right now.

"This is a  _disaster_!" Cheryl cried. "Everything is falling apart."

Eyes widening, Toni hopped up from the bed, taking steps towards the redhead.

"Hey, hey... calm down, Cher. It's not a big deal at all—"

"It  _is_ a big deal!" she continued, exasperated.

"Babe, we can go to dinner any time, I promise. My nights just got a lot more free," the Serpent assured her, standing behind her vanity chair, placing her hands on the redhead's shoulders, massaging them soothingly. "Really, it's not a big deal."

"I just... I wanted to spend tonight with you," Cheryl sighed.

"And we can  _still_ hang out tonight," Toni told her. "In fact, I think we might have to because there's no way for me to get to my uncle's trailer right now, so... I guess you're stuck with me tonight. Can you handle that?"

Cheryl rolled her eyes playfully, a smile forming on her face, her nerves calming a little bit. Of course, Toni wouldn't and  _couldn't_ understand why she was so upset about their dinner plans getting cancelled— it wasn't like Cheryl could just tell her. But regardless, she felt slightly more relaxed to know that she would at least get to be with Toni tonight, even if she didn't get to say what she wanted to say.

"We can have way more fun inside than any fancy-shmancy restaurant," Toni grinned, dropping her head lower so it rested on Cheryl's shoulder. She turned her head, pressing a light kiss to the redhead's cheek. "Got any spare blankets and pillows?"

* * *

From initial plans of an extravagant night out to...

Laying beneath a weak fortress of pillows and blankets, a few candles lit around to brighten the inside, cuddled up in a fluffy red blanket in their pajamas, legs tangled together.

From initial plans of a five-star meal to...

Pizza ordered quickly and promptly, making a poor deliveryman ride out as fast as he could before the weather conditions became far too unsafe to go anywhere. A hefty tip was paid, but probably not enough to make up for the inconvenience...

Cheryl brought a greasy slice to her mouth, chewing off the tip, giggling as she watched her girlfriend do the same thing. She wasn't sure how many slices she had eaten— they had ordered two whole boxes for just them and had been devouring them nonstop since they arrived. 

"So, now that you can worry less about providing for yourself, does that mean all the money you've been saving up can go to replacing your camera?" Cheryl asked before shoving the last bite of her pizza into her mouth.

Toni, who had already finished hers, gazed at her girlfriend, her lips curving into a gentle smile. Moving one of her hands forwards, she used her thumb to wipe some of the grease off from around the redhead's mouth. Afterwards, her hand just remained there, cupping her chin, Toni's thumb tracing circles on her cheek.

"I want to," Toni sighed, her mind drifting to the good days when her old camera was still in-tact; she recalled the absolute satisfaction that she got from taking the perfect shot or when her photos were finally developed. There was a time when photography was so central to her life— she literally couldn't go more than a few days without taking pictures of  _something_ — but suddenly everything changed when the Ghoulies attacked and she lost her camera. She felt like she lost a piece of herself that day. "God, it's been so long since I've held a camera in my hands, Cher. I  _miss_ it; I miss taking photos like every day." 

"Well, now you can do that again, right?" Cheryl smiled hopefully.

Toni shrugged, "That's what I'm hoping for, but I don't wanna take any risks just yet. I don't know if I can count on my uncle... this 'nice guy' thing of his is entirely new, so I'm not ready to take on any bets. You never know what's gonna happen— I could be back on my own tomorrow if he changes his mind. It was like a switch flipping when he said he wants to be there for me; he could turn that right off again in an instant."

Of course, Cheryl was also skeptical of Toni's uncle; she just didn't want to see her getting hurt. She could see how much it meant to Toni to have blood family there for her— somebody taking care of her and providing for her again. 

Cheryl desperately wanted it to work out for her. As much as she loved having Toni living with her in Thistlehouse, this was better for her.  _And_ it brought the chance for Toni to get back into photography.

"Tell me more about your photos," Cheryl pleaded in a quiet voice, her eyes not leaving the other girl's face.

Toni's smile deepened. She brought her hand further back on Cheryl's face, pushing strands of red hair behind her ear.

"What do you wanna know?" she asked.

After pondering for a brief moment, Cheryl hummed, "Hmm, what was your favorite thing to take pictures of?"

Thoughtfully, she replied, "I loved taking photos of the Serpents. I just... I loved how  _real_ the photos felt. I got to capture what life was like for us on the Southside. We live so differently from other kids our age, so... it's crazy to look back and see the reality of what life is like on the Southside and in gangs... I got to capture it all— even the dark shit."

Cheryl was truly in awe. 

They did come from entirely different worlds— that was true. And she would probably never understand the hardships that her girlfriend and other Southsiders faced, but she  _wanted_ to. She couldn't believe what a beautiful person Toni had turned out to be, despite everything she had gone through in her life.

"Can you show me them sometime?" Cheryl asked in the softest voice.

Toni nodded her head, "Of course, Cher."

Cheryl blinked a few times, "Oh, T.T... how are you even real?"

Chuckling, the Serpent asked, "What do you mean, babe?"

"I've been through a lot in my life— losing my Jay-Jay, the horrors of my parents, Nick St. Clair," she started.

Toni arched her eyebrows, confused where she was going with this.

"Yeah, you have. But you're so strong... you made it through," Toni spoke reassuringly.

The redhead continued, "But you've been through so much, too, T.T. More than I could ever know or understand... and you're a complete angel. I let my traumas bitter my soul, you never did."

Toni shook her head, "I'm not an angel, Cher. I've had my bitter days, too. We just... we cope differently, that's all."

Cheryl swallowed hard, suddenly finding it hard to stare directly in the eyes of the girl laying right next to her. The dim lighting of the candle highlighted the warmth of her brown eyes and cast a golden ray on her darker skin. She didn't even realize how amazing she was.

"I've seen the real you," Toni whispered, her thumb now running down Cheryl's jawline, tracing over it. "I see through any facade you put on— I saw through it when I first met you, and I still see through it now. You care more than you let on. And when that side of you— the  _real_ you— comes out, it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. And I desperately wish you saw the girl that I see; it makes me so sad that you don't, because the Cheryl  _I_ know has made me happier than I ever thought I could be."

Cheryl felt the slight tension build up in her eyes as water began to fill up; God, she was  _right_ on the verge of crying because she never  _ever_ thought she would find someone like Toni. She never thought anyone would just look at her and see something truly beautiful inside and out. For whatever reason, Toni did.

"You make me so, so happy, Cher. There's not a day that I don't think about how lucky I am to have you," Toni chewed her lip, gazing right into Cheryl's warm eyes. "I... I just—"

" _I love you_ ," the redhead finished, her breath hitching right after the spoke.

She felt a weight being lifted— she had wanted and needed to say that for so long.

And it wasn't how she had planned it, but she was thankful for that.

She didn't need some extravagant dinner date to tell Toni how she felt. It didn't need to be planned and meticulously executed. That was how their relationship had been from the start: never what she expected; always taking her by surprise. 

Their relationship wasn't about extravagance. It wasn't planned or over-the-top, like Cheryl's parents had made her think about all her life.

It was simple and beautiful. Her relationship with Toni had made her realize how wonderful the simple moments of life could be— how she could have more fun in a pillow and blanket fort eating cheap pizza than any grand dinner party or date. 

She had been anxiously awaiting this moment, thinking about it and fearing it, wondering if Toni would just say it already so that she didn't have to take the risk of saying it. She had decided to take matters into her own hands and plan it in an extravagant way. 

But none of that mattered. In this moment, laying here right by Toni's side, she felt it overwhelming her.

She loved Toni Topaz. She was  _in love_ with Toni Topaz.

Whether or not Toni said it back, that was what she felt and it was out in the open now.

"Cher," Toni breathed with wide eyes.

"Those three words are hard for me to say, T.T.," Cheryl admitted, "I understand if you—"

"I love you, too," Toni grinned, immediately leaning forward, capturing Cheryl's lips with her own, kissing with all that she had inside of her. She kept her hand on Cheryl's cheek, holding on to it tightly. As she pulled back with a grin of the same size still on her face, she added, "I just... I wanted to say it first. I was  _trying_ to say it first."

Cheryl's smile was of the same magnitude as Toni's.

"Is this a milestone for us?" she asked.

Toni chuckled before her smile faded, expression becoming serious.

"Honestly, Cher... this is a milestone in my  _life_ ," she admitted. "You know, I've dated a few people before, but... I've never felt the way that I do about you for  _anyone_." 

Admittedly, Toni was Cheryl's first girlfriend. She had tried to force herself to feel something—  _anything_ — for boys in the past, but was never able to. She had kissed Archie Andrews in a cheap attempt to have feelings, just because Archie seemed to actually care about her, unlike most of the guys she had encountered. She had made out with Moose Mason at a party just to see if she could feel  _anything_ at all. And she didn't even want to  _think_ about the horrors that came with her trying to snag Nick St. Clair in an attempt to find an ideal, wealthy partner that would please her family.

"I haven't either."

Toni laced her fingers with Cheryl's.

"You know, while taking pictures of the Serpents and the Southside was my favorite thing, I think that if I get a new camera, I can think of something else to take pictures of that would definitely be my  _new_ favorite thing," she smirked.

"And what would that be, T.T.?" Cheryl smirked back.

Toni chuckled, playing with the redhead's fingers.

"Seriously, though... if I do get a new camera, you should let me take pictures of you," Toni told her. "They would be so beautiful— you would make taking beautiful pictures so effortless." 

Cheryl blushed, rolling her eyes playfully. Normally, she was all for compliments and would conceitedly accept them, but something about the way Toni spoke and looked at her made it so  _different_ from the usual compliment. It meant so much more to her.

Using Toni's hand, Cheryl pulled her girlfriend closer, taking in her lips her warmly. Toni's hands found their place on the redhead's waist as she got comfortable on her side to more easily kiss her. Their mouths moved together, a fire building up in both of their bodies. Teasingly, Toni's hands snaked up the hem of Cheryl's t-shirt, running up her sides until they found her breasts.

She moved her hands inwards on both sides, finding the center of her breasts, running her thumb against the hardened pink buds. Pulling apart from her lips, Toni guided the t-shirt off of her head, tossing it aside gently before pressing her lips to Cheryl's again. 

She pulled her lips away again, this time getting on top of Cheryl, lifting her own shirt over her head, tossing it aside to join the redhead's shirt. She found Cheryl's hands, lacing their fingers together again, bringing Cheryl's hands to her chest, placing each one on one of her breasts. Cheryl licked her lips, her eyes fixated on the ample breasts in front of her, squeezing to her liking. 

Dipping back down, Toni brought the redhead's hands to her back before butterflying kisses down Cheryl's body, beginning at her neck. She pecked at each spot of skin she could: neck, collarbone, between her breasts, slowing as she reached Cheryl's stomach, allowing her tongue to drag along with her mouth. She paused when she reached the waistband of Cheryl's pajama pants, hooking her fingers into the waistband, taking her time to slowly drag her loose pants down. 

A quiet series of whimpers escaped Cheryl's mouth as Toni brought her mouth to her inner-thigh, bringing the skin of the sensitive area between her lips, allowing her tongue to toy dangerously close to Cheryl's center. Cheryl's hands found Toni's shoulders, stretching far out to cling to them, squeezing to calm herself as Toni's mouth edged the most sensitive spot possible.

Shutting her eyes and using Toni's shoulders to steady herself, Cheryl attempted to keep her breathing proper—

...but all failed as soon as Toni took the hem of Cheryl's panties between her teeth, dragging them down her legs slowly. In the initial stages, Cheryl could feel Toni's hot breath against her center, and she was going absolutely insane, her center feeling like it was  _throbbing_. Toni always liked to be a tease, but right now Cheryl was  _dying_ and needed this to keep going. 

"T.T.,  _please_ ," the redhead pleaded, her nails digging into her girlfriend's shoulders.

After getting Cheryl's underwear off, Toni discarded the rest of her own clothes, then moved back up, hovering over Cheryl. She brought a hand to Cheryl's cheek, running her fingers down her jawline, a tight-lipped smile forming on her face as she gazed into the redhead's eyes; Cheryl gazed back at her with equal intensity, chewing her lip to avoid confronting how amazing it felt to be looked at like  _that_ — like she was Toni's entire world. 

"I love you," Toni whispered quietly, the admiration in her eyes unmistakeable.

Her free hand found Cheryl's to intertwine their fingers once more. She leaned down, taking Cheryl's bottom lip into her mouth, breathing in intensely as she put all she could into this. As their lips moved together steadily, Toni slowly moved their intertwined hands parallel to Cheryl's head, which was resting on one of the pillows in their fort.

Bringing her other hand down from Cheryl's jaw, she slowly dragged it down her body, gripping down on every part of her skin that she could in the journey, before finally reaching her center, which had clearly been  _waiting_ for this.

She buried her head in Cheryl's neck, lips attaching to the skin, before dragging two fingers against the redhead's folds. She could  _feel_ as Cheryl swallowed hard.

Then, she moved her fingers in deeper, moving gently and slowly inside of Cheryl, earning the musical sounds of her quiet moans and whimpers. Cheryl's hands found a new home in Toni's messy pink hair, running through the tangly curls. As the intensity of Toni's motions grew, Cheryl gripped harder at the other girl's hair, pulling harder at it. 

Toni kept moving her fingers, circling her clit painfully slowly, augmenting the overwhelming sensations that Cheryl was feeling, torturing her just a little bit. She kept riding out the wave of Toni's fingers, traveling towards her climax. 

" _Toni_ ," her breath hitched.

Toni peppered kisses against her neck and jawline again, moving her head back upwards. She kept their faces just a few centimeters apart, ghosting the tips of their noses. Cheryl's mouth formed an o-shape as she began coming undone, releasing herself against Toni's fingers, feeling a sensation of relief coming over her. She took a deep breath as she reached the final moments.

Her eyes fluttered open, feeling the intensity of Toni's gaze on her. When she opened her eyes, she had nowhere to look except right into the warm brown eyes already staring at her. She kept her hands placed firmly on the back of Toni's neck, chewing on her lip.

As she looked into those eyes, she could barely believe that her sight was a reality. 

"I love you," Cheryl whispered before gently pushing Toni's head down, their lips pressing together.

This was real— she found somebody who she loved... and who loved her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO, BIG THINGS HAPPENED, RIGHT!?
> 
> I wanted the first "I love you" moment to be super special and I think it was a pretty beautiful, intimate moment between them. Maybe not what Cheryl had imagined, but it probably ended up better than she imagined! And smut is good as always, right? And it wasn't just smut— it was very INTIMATE smut, between two people in looooove. They can finally say they love each other now freely, so yay for that.
> 
> And since the show doesn't seem to care about Toni's backstory at all, I wanted to give her some depth. With her uncle back in the picture, we can finally explore their relationship and history, as well as just Toni's life before Cheryl in general. It does mean that Toni's moving out, but not without good reason. 
> 
> I'm excited to hear what you guys are thinking after this, so definitely let me know your feelings!


End file.
